Subject: [Tweeters] Avian alarm clock
Date: Sun May 3 17:53:02 PDT 2020
From: Lynn Wohlers - wohlers13 at gmail.com

We used to live in Kirkland and had lots of gutter drumming every Spring,
not far at all from the suet. It was a garden apartment and the owners were
worried about damage so they bought garish big balloons with smiley faces
on them and affixed them to the building near the Flicker's favorite spot.
That stopped them. We were sorry, actually - we enjoyed hearing that
intense drumming. Now we're in a cottage on Fidalgo Island, where a Flicker
drums on the lid to the gas fireplace vent on the roof. Really great sound
effects, but we've taken to scaring it off after a few drums because we
don't want holes in that stove vent. :-)

On Sun, May 3, 2020 at 3:17 PM George Heleker <earthman1950 at whidbey.com>
wrote:


>

> We too live on South Whidbey, but our local flickers have pretty much

> stopped drumming the past week. They were drumming frequently for about 3

> or 4 weeks. Perhaps they are nearing an end to their antics in your area.

> They love the metal cap on our chimney.

>

> But I have a great idea to prevent your being jolted awake from a deep

> sleep. Get up at five, make your favorite hot beverage, go outside, and

> listen to the awesome chorus between 5 and 6 a.m. It's often the highlight

> of my day this time of year. :-)

>

> George Heleker

>

> Whidbey Island

>

> On 2020-05-03 11:31, David A. Armstrong wrote:

>

> It started about a month back, and continues daily to this morning.

> Anywhere from 5:30-6:30AM, we are jolted from deep sleep by the staccato

> jack-hammer drumming of northern flickers on metal rain gutters all around

> the neighborhood on Mutiny Bay, S Whidbey Island. When just 5' outside the

> bedroom window, there's no place to hide....you are instantly awake. And no

> way to sleep again as you wait for the next burst that will follow in 20-30

> seconds. But they are a tricky bird, and a minute might elapse...you think

> "OK, they're done", close your eyes, drop to the pillow, and then they let

> lose again in response to a distant drum from another bird.

> We have never in 16 years encountered such frequent, incessant drumming on

> metal surfaces. Compared to some old tree, the metal drumming really

> projects far and wide. You come to realize that the "musical" quality of

> the drumming surface (rain gutter, satellite dish, hard- or soft-wood tree)

> isn't the species-specific attractant, it's the absolutely precise

> frequency of the cadence/rhythm of the drum. Dennis Paulson emphasized use

> of drumming as a species trait last year in the master birding class. He is

> right; and I dread 5:30 AM tomorrow.

> david armstrong

>

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--
Lynn Wohlers

Blogging at Bluebrightly <https://bluebrightly.com/>
Photography on Flickr <https://www.flickr.com/photos/lynnwohlers/>
And at Lynn Wohlers.com <http://lynn-wohlers.artistwebsites.com>
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