It may simply be drumming at the beginning of breeding season and not looking for insects. Try putting up some streamers or other visual deterrent and see if that helps. If you google woodpecker drumming you can find lots of articles. We have the same problem in early spring; they either bang on the metal gutter or sometimes the bat house which is on a 10 foot pole and vibrates nicely.

Interesting. I read about the drumming/mating. You'd think with this weather it would be a little too cold! Thanks for the info.

LOL!

I have a pileated woodpecker, and some smaller ones around, but they land on the porch columns and fly off. I think they're feasting on the millions of ant nests I have around my house.

Seriously. Millions. My exterminator (for termites) said he'd never seen ants like mine. After he asked what crop I was growing in the side yard. I said, "None. Those are ant hills. It's not plowed." Embodied the term, "jaw dropping."

I'll do what I can to move him along and protect him from the cats.

Maybe it's rooting in its pantry. Woodpeckers stashed seeds and nuts along our roof line a few years ago. We had the boards replaced and caulked, and I haven't seen them these past two years.

How smart they are. I'm surprised the squirrels didn't get their stash!

Definitely a mating thing or for marking territory with certain woodpeckers, especially flickers. They love the sound they get on a good metal gutter or chimney. It's LOUD, which serves their purpose well I guess.

Thanks for that! We've had a big flicker drumming on a metal sleeve on the utility pole behind our house (covers wires coming down the pole to underground). I can hear it from around the block. My husband thought it might be trying to drive bugs out from under. I think there are a couple nests drilled into an old wild cherry tree that's nearby. I'll have to keep a look-out for him this year. We've had lots of diff birds at our snow-covering seed buffet this week. Yesterday, there was a flock of grackles. They ate and then sat in nearby trees gracking with each other for about an hour. I'm glad they don't nest nearby. What a noise! Finches have started working in the birdhouses, so maybe the woodpeckers are also working already. I'll have to find a spot from inside to watch that tree.

Hey Christine -

So several years back, my neighbor had a woodpecker visitor...the critter drummed on the fascia area, very annoying sound. He was finally able to get rid of it, but it sure did lots of damage...it was able to drill a couple of holes!

Jette

My back porch has yet to be sided, nor has the foamboard insulation been put on. You'd never notice the holes on my porch, but I am concerned if I let my cat out, he'll kill the bird. He's very fat, but quiet and the bird is pecking very low on the wall.

I am grateful for the lack of grackles, too. I have enough crows to scare away an army.

I'm glad my bird is pecking on the house. Some of the wood showing, evidently, but I might have to let the cat out of he were on metal. NOT REALLY!!!