Why Is That Maine Woodpecker Pounding On My Metal Satellite Dish?

Ain't no bugs in there, Woody.

So for the past month or so we've had a variety of woodpeckers in the neighborhood making noise.  In talking with the neighbors we've figured out that these little peckers have been poking, pounding, and drumming on a variety of different things, like metal ladders, house eaves, metal roofs and satellite dishes.  Certainly things that one would not expect a woodpecker to have an interest in.

But they sure are making some noise.  We we're wondering why, and we noticed that others were wondering the same on Facebook.

It seems that during the months of May and June our feathered friends are in search of a mate, and what they're doing is referred to as "drumming."   Not only does sending these very loud and piercing decibels streamlining across the neighborhood tell prospective mates that a suitor is in town, but it also claims ownership of the area to send other suitors packing.

There are nine woodpeckers that make Maine their home, according to Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and some may drill into your wooden home, especially if it's dark in color.  Seems old Woody thinks your home is just a weirdly shaped tree.  According to Mass Audubon, there are a variety of reasons other than an infestation of insects as to why a woodpecker would do this, one being that he or she is young and stressed out for food. This situation mainly happens in the fall.

But if you hear what sounds like someone poking a garbage can lid loudly at this time of the year, it's just a love starved woodpecker that's taken over the rights to your neighborhood.  Things will quiet down again soon.