Comments on: Acorn woodpeckers: Help stop Rossmoor homeowners from killing them!

By: Cherie Abramowitz

Cherie Abramowitz — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:44:34 +0000

Can I ask the obvious question? why can’t animal control
trap and move them? They would probably like to store their acorns in the forest anyway if someone brought this to their little bird brains. We are human beings thus one would assume smarter, capable of a solution.
you are expected to resolve your issues with your neighbors as opposed to shooting them, perhaps being the bigger person you could try that with animals.
Please correct me if you feel I am wrong and the bird is in fact smarter than you.

By: bruce thom

bruce thom — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:22:56 +0000

Interesting how the Mutual response to shooting wood peckers morphed into making carpenter bee houses to solve their problem.
How about making the builders responsible for using foam siding instead of wood?

The carpenter bees are wonderful pollinators working on cold days to pollinate my fruit trees when it is too cold for the other bees. One cool spring, they were the bees working my apple trees. I had a great crop that year.
Their houses are a 1/2 inch hole drilled an inch or two into old untreated wood. The hole then turns at a 90 degree angle. That sounds difficult to build. I wonder if just drilling the straight inch or two hole would encourage them to finish the 90 degree turn. That last part is their brood chamber.

Wood Peckers on the other hand…

These birds fly to catch insects in the air or on the ground, forage on trees or gather and store nuts. They are omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, and occasionally even the eggs of other birds.[3] About two thirds of their diet is made up of plants.[3] They nest in a cavity in a dead tree, utility pole, or a dead part of a tree that is between 8 and 80 feet (2.5 to 25 m) above the ground.

Again we in Rossmoor are the laughing stock of the area..

A little research would keep egg off the faces of the mutual who foisted this solution on their constituents…

Bruce Thom
Ptarmigan Dr
Walnut Creek CA 94595
“a mind is like a parachute.
it only works when open….”

By: Dick Locke

Dick Locke — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:11:20 +0000

You can also reach the mutual 68 board members by phone.

Their phone numbers are here:
http://docs.rossmoor.com/Pagesfolder/Mutualpgs/Mutual68Con.html

If you do call, remember only three out of the five listed voted to proceed with the killing. Don’t assume you’re talking to one of those three.

By: Heidi Perryman

Heidi Perryman — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:11:25 +0000

You are doing a great service to report on this issue. Your comment-ers that want more “solutions” before they’ll put down the shotgun should read this months issue of the Mt Diablo Audubon Society Newsletter. http://www.diabloaudubon.com/newsletter/Quail_Feb_09.pdf Remember that 15 birds were killed last year, and this year the request is to kill 50. That is hard evidence that killing increases the breeding population.

After looking over the science of woodpecker breeding, stop and revisit Nancy Wenniger’s article on why this was doomed to happen when developers ignored EIRs and lawsuits by the Sierra Club and residents were unsuccessful in convincing a city council with dollar signs instead of eyeballs.

By: M

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:19:00 +0000

Killing these birds is unjustifiable, presumptuous, and full of hubris–what right do they have to kill an entire woods full of families? These birds are struggling all over the country. They want to live in nature, then kill it? Wholesale? Get used to the noise. Sublimate it. Patch the holes. Work with Audubon, Humane, Fish and Wildlife. What is WRONG with these people? I signed the petition to revoke the kill. Shame on Fish and Wildlife. Shame on them.

By: Heidi Carlson

Heidi Carlson — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:31:14 +0000

Thanks for writing this here and in the CCTimes!

I’ve linked to your blog here in a blog post I just did, hoping my few readers will sign the petitions and write emails to the bungling officials.

By: Sandybutt

Sandybutt — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:16:28 +0000

So what the heck are “the non-lethal methods”? It’s funny that you ask for everyone to write congressmen without providing clear alternatives and how effective they are! This is one of those cases where nutcases think that woodpeckers and their own cats and dogs are more important than people who are just trying to live without woodpeckers drilling holes in their houses relentlessly! Being a homeowner I sympathize with the roosmoor owners!

Sorry you need to provide more information to convince me!

By: Bob Korsan

Bob Korsan — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:26:13 +0000

I happen to live in Rossmoor (not in the effected Mutuals) and agree with you. However, you are not being fair. The Mutuals have spent over $100,000 over the last three years trying to get rid of the birds. Everything failed. You need to be more balanced.

Do you have a list of things that were tried and what the Audobon Society asked to try that was different? How much money spent is evidence of good faith?

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:04:03 +0000

It is cruel & unjustifiable to kill the woodpeckers. They were there before you & will be there long after you. Shooting them only means death and does not look like it will solve the problem but potentially increase the number of woodpeckers in the area…those seeking to replace any alpa male. Work with Audubon and solve this issue humanely.