It is a beeeeautiful day to be alive – who on earth would want to get rid of woodpeckers? It’s sunny but not too warm, there are gentle breezes to soar upon, and lots of wonderful bugs flying and crawling everywhere.  The bushes are full of gorgeous bright berries.  Yes, siree, it is a marvelous day.

I stride to the end of the branch and cock my head.  I’m hungry, and there are so many choices before me.  I glide down to a nearby bush, grab a berry or two to swallow whole, and then get back to my tree to look for the best and most beautiful insects.  My eye spots a bee, zeroing in on a house, and I watch to see where it lands.  My wings spread and I swoop off my branch and onto the breeze, up, up.  My feet grip the side of the house and I grab the bee up in my beak.  Juicy!

Hmmmm.  I move my feet around on the house and take a tentative peck.  Yes, yes, that gives very nicely.  I cock my head again and assess my find.  First, my pecks are making delightful holes into a wall that gives way, not easily, but well enough.  If I work at it, I might just get through to the other side and find a warm cozy place to nest.  Second, I hear the happy sound of bees.  Obviously, they’ve decided to make this house their home as well.  Oh Ho!  A place to make my own with its own food supply.  Does it get any better than this?

Over the next few days, I breakfast on bright red berries in the morning and then snack on bees throughout the day as I make several holes in the walls, looking for a way through to the other side.  My droppings are making streaks of bright red and brown down the side of the house.  This is truly going to be my house.

Unfortunately, there may be other obstacles to overcome.  Not everyone enjoys my percussion as I try to tap my way through to the warm attic.  Somewhere in the house, a dog is barking at me as I proceed.  Every now and then, someone charges out of the house yelling about how to get rid of woodpeckers, but I just fly away until they go back inside, and then I resume my work.  Once I set my mind to something, I just can not let it go!  Besides, with a feast of bees and this glorious wall to tap full of holes, why would I want to go anywhere else?

Once a mouse climbed up and checked out one of my bigger holes.  I guess I’m not picky about my neighbors.  If a family of mice wants to use a hole to get into the attic, too, I guess that would be okay.  As long as they kept to themselves!  This is going to be a lovely neighborhood.  Unless, of course, someone decides to get rid of woodpeckers.