We’ve got lots of woodpeckers on Gabriola, and until now I’ve just seen them doing woodpecker-type things. Like, you know, pecking wood. So why did one woodpecker suddenly decide that our window needed pecking? What’s the appeal of pecking glass? And how can I send him back to the trees?

Somebody on Metafilter asked the same question, and got tons of responses. One says your bird is either trying to attract another bird with the tapping sound, or he thinks that his reflection is another bird, and he’s claiming his territory and trying to scare off the intruder. Aha!

That Metafilter page has lots of suggestions on how to deal with these confused woodpeckers; one of the ideas there is sure to work for me. Meanwhile, I’m glad the woodpecker isn’t smashing mirrors on parked cars, which some woodpeckers seem to do.

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