Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Living Jackhammers

Adding to our rental drama, we have a neighborhood visitor. An early morning neighborhood visitor.

I noticed him the first weekend I was here. I heard a jackhammering noise coming from our backyard. Oh! I naively thought We must have a woodpecker! How wonderful!

I looked out the window only to see something the size of a large cat on one of the trees out back. Woody Woodpecker is no cartoon. Here is what I saw in my backyard.


Is that some scary shit or what?

I have never seen a bird this big before. He was across my yard, and I do not really want to see him up close. He can stay on his end, and I will stay on mine.

Except that this weekend, at sunrise, Hubbie and I woke up to the loudest vibrating jackhammering noise I have every heard. Woody was on the fucking roof. Or on our gutter. Or somewhere on our house. Pecking and pecking and pecking away.

This is going to be a long spring.

7 comments:

.:| Melissa.Mizladytaz |:. said...

creepy much? eW I agree with ya. Let him stay on his side of the yard! You might just want to notify your landlords about the woodpecker though. So y'all don't get blamed for the roof in any way. Yanno! Better safe than sorry! ;0)

RiverPoet said...

Woodpeckers are impressive creatures, but yes, they are quite loud. They can do quite a bit of damage to a roof, so keep an eye on him.

Peace - D

Mouthy Girl said...

Ack. I'm not a bird person. Ever.

Anonymous said...

Girl, you better keep an eye on your children in the back yard o'death - that creature has some nasty pterydactyl vibe going on...

I remember when I saw an adult bald eagle up close for the first time - their body's the size of a medium-sized dog. They don't call them birds of prey for nothing.

KJ said...

Oh man. I had one of these on my house in FL years ago... not that big though..I don't think. Just loud.

Get a slingshot?

Not Afraid to Use It said...

@Melissa: There is no way I can keep that thing off of my roof. I'd like to see Crazy Landlady try and pin that on us!

@Momma: It sounds awful to say it, but I don't own this place, so it isn't my problem. I didn't feel this way before, but I am sucking some pretty bitter lemons about my landlord right now...

@Buddha_girl: Yeah, my gramma had a parrot. Long story. Blech.

@BvB: You nailed it PERFECTLY!! It EXACTLY has a pterydactyl vibe going on. I think that is why it creeps me out so badly.

@Kat: No way in hell I'd try and slingshot that thing. I would miss and it would chase me around the yard trying to peck me in the head. Seen The Birds much?

Major Bedhead said...

It's a Pileated Woodpecker, in case you wanted to know. I had one in a dead tree in the back yard last year.