Acorn Woodpecker © USF&WS
Great...
"On the outer edges of Rossmoor, the retirement community nestled between Lafayette and Walnut Creek, a war has been waged for seven years pitting man against woodpecker. The woodpeckers are winning. But now, the battle is about to go to a whole new level. Homeowners in Rossmoor received a yearlong permit in June from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to kill up to 50 of the pesky birds in an attempt to shoo away the others. Under the terms of the permit, the homeowners must continue to seek nonlethal methods of ridding the homes of the birds, said service spokesman Al Donner."
Link: Full article from SFGate.com
The "Get the hell out of my way!" approach is practically tradition with us. One person posted the following comment to the story:
"We live in acorn woodpecker territory too. You can deter these comical creatures by lining the eaves with metal sheeting. The birds hang on the edges and swing under to bore holes for their acorn caches. The metal will protect your wood. The problem you have is with the inappropriate design of your soft wood houses and not the woodpeckers who are only following instinctive caching behavior..."
Be sure to read some of the other comments and leave some, too!