Woody Woodpecker Would be Proud
It's that time of year in Alaska when woodpeckers are out pecking on telephone poles. I always wondered why they do it since there can't be any bugs to dig out, certainly none that don't taste foul from years of soaking in creosote. Turns out the birds use the poles for the same thing humans do — communication. Woodpeckers don't use the wires, just the poles. The dried wood makes a satisfying sound that can be heard by other birds for blocks around. Most of the telephone-pole communicators are males advertising for mates. In that regard they are remarkably like humans. I learned Morse code many years ago at the Army's Rotary Wing Flight Training School in Alabama at Fort Rucker and realized recently that woodpecker code is quite similar to the old Morse classic — and the birds use their own version of text messaging. The other day, one in my neighborhood was sending out a signal saying, "Macho male w/big bill and great plumage ...