J. Steven Huy wrote:

>I would think this more common for flickers.  Have seen many flickers
>torment homeowners, but never a red-belly. Just be glad it's the gutters
>and not wood siding...
>
>
You've seen one now, at least vicariously....

We had a red-belly that drummed on the gutters every spring. At first we
were upset, but once we found out that it wasn't doing any harm to the
house, we didn't mind. We nicknamed him "RB" (for Red-Belly, of course)
-- "Listen, there's RB again!"

He woke us up occasionally, but it wasn't nearly as incessant as that
flicker appears to be. Every year RB's drumming was our assurance spring
was really coming. Later on he'd bring his babies to the suet feeder
when they fledged, giving me an easy confirmation of RBWO for my atlas
block. He was our favorite feeder bird.

Last fall a Cooper's got him. I saw the hawk mantling something on the
grass, and when she turned a little I could see she had my woodpecker. I
ran out and chased her away, but she took RB with her. Another male
red-belly turned up a couple of weeks later, but although he
experimented with drumming on the gutters at the beginning of the
season, he obviously didn't care for the sound it made.

It may be silly and sentimental, but I miss my little drummer bird.

Sherry
nightheron =at= despammed =dot= com

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