Xenophobia is the fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.
We have a lovely flowering plum tree in our front yard that became a woodpeckers favorite spot to peck. He really did a number on the tree. My husband would try and shoo him away. He even threatened to bbq him. The bird could have cared less. Each morning he would arrive and start peck, peck, pecking.
Finally my husband had just about enough of the woodpecker and the damage he was doing to the tree. He went into the bonus room and dug out a lovely iridescent owl. The owl was carried into the yard while my husband hummed the tune of Dueling Banjos.
Once he was hung in the tree, we waited to see what the woodpecker would do. We waited and waited. He never returned.
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Was the woodpecker xenophobically afraid of the new bird in tree?
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Was it that the owl looks so tacky he didn’t want to be seen in a tree near him?
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Was he really finished gathering sap from the tree and moved on?
We will probably never know. My husband is declaring the owl the winner and is happy to have him gone.
I am glad too. I have no idea how to prepare bbq’d woodpecker.
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I’m sure the woodpecker was afraid of becoming prey! We have one every once and a while come around and start pecking on our house! So annoying.
I’m afraid you tree is doomed. The Woodpecker was after the insects that are most likely killing the tree. Sorry, I’ve watched it happen in my own yard,
I have heard that just having a replica of the owl (no matter how tacky it is) is enough to scare the woodpecker away. Apparently they are annoying, but not very smart.
I say whateve the truth is let you husband have his day in the sun. These are the type of victories that make men very happy!
Great thinking! While I think woodpeckers are pretty, I was none to happy to have one pecking into our portico over our front door last year. Took out big chunks of styrofoam edging and left a gaping hole for bees and other bugs to get into (probably what it was going after in the first place!)
I think some salt, pepper, and bbq sauce is what you use for bbq’d woodpecker.
I teach about xenophobic in my workplace behavior class. Too funny.
Too funny! Are you guys going to keep the owl there forever, or just for a few weeks?
I will have to remember that trick!
LOL, I’m glad it worked! Now he’s bothering some other unlucky person’s tree!
So glad the Owl worked. You can buy stuff like that at growrssolution.com. If you need Moles to Go, they got that, too! LOL Glad you guys won:)
Great trick! And post.
LOLA:)
Btw Alphabe-Thursday
Is it possible to have Laundry Xenophobia? Not really foreign cuz there is so much of it but I sure do have fear and hatred of it! Sorry about your tree! 🙁
I noticed woodpeckers were at our apple tree. . .I may need to borrow the irridescent owl, do you rent it out?:)
How funny! Well maybe not for the tree but you’ve got to admit, that woodpecker kept some pretty straight lines with those holes there. My vote is on the Owl’s presence that scared the woodpecker off 🙂
I have heard that when a woodpecker starts on a tree that the tree is already dying. You might want to consult an arborist. Loved the dueling banjo part! LOL.~Ames
I have a woodpecker who pecks every single morning on my metal chimney for the wood stove.
Drives..me…completely….crazy….
LOL @ not wanting to be there with the tacky owl!
great post and gave me a giggle this evening! thanks xx
Wow, that’s pretty funny… I didn’t know that owls would scare woodpeckers.
Oh, and I forgot to say, I’m glad you didn’t have to figure out how to bbq woodpecker.
We had doves that were constantly trying to build nests in our ramada, right by the sliding doors. The poop was everywhere. We took some stuffed animals that we had gotten at Mardi Gras and placed them up above the door. No more doves!!
It was the tune of the Dueling Banjo’s that done him in…really….
meahahahahahahahaaa
Hehe! I’d say that woodpecker was smart to move on!
Those darn woodpeckers! Sometimes rubber snakes do the scaring off trick, too! They sure would scare me…I’d rather have BBQ woodpecker. Have you tired google for a recipe…just in case it comes back!
I ask myself all the time, if I invite a woodpecker to come into my yard, Woody?
Oh, I love a good mystery. You may never know why he left. Just enjoy the fact that you have your tree back. 🙂
Love your post … owls will scare birds away … Years ago we had a neighbor who had peacocks. They are beautiful, but horribly noisy very early in the morning and they liked to perch on our roof, right over our bedroom. BBQ peacock was on my husband’s mind, too … but a hanging owl worked its magic! Thanks for sharing your story.
ah poor guy run out by an old owl. Gang activity what can ya do? not sure how much you would get form BBQ Woodpecker! hahah we have all been there with some wild creature I hear ya. Well, my post was for the birds today as well…
Hang in there it’s almost the weekend =0)
How nice to get rid of the woodpecker…I hope it’s for good!
Great story! We occasionally have a woodpecker visit us and we live in a log home…needless to say, next time, I will remember the owl trick…
Brilliant start to my day! Your husband is a genius…that should keep him happy till next week 🙂
I tend to be on the side of the woodpecker…what can I say…I think they are so darn cute (of course, I’ve never had one tap-tapping on my home)!
Happy X Day!
Coralie
Aww…Bye bye Woody! Glad he didn’t get bbq’d. Those owls do work well. We bought my father-in-law one to put in his garden one year.
Woodpeckers are kind of cute when they are still but when they start pecking away at something – it gives me a headache. Here in FL for some reason, they like to peck at our aluminum soffits. That’s a noise that will wake you up in a hurry. Like someone’s drilling into your head.
I’m still laughing over the dueling banjos! I can imagine that scenario.
We have one that comes into our yard every once in awhile. I remember a lot more of them back East.
Thanks for an Xcellent and fun post!
A+
That’s an interesting word, I completely forgot about it. Not only woodpeckers are xenophobic, can be some people too, lol !
Oh, great word to use! And how funny is that to put an owl up there!!! I guess it did the trick!
I hope you’re having a great week!
XO
Great read and a wonderful word too!
Great word for the letter X. Count me on the side of the woodpecker. I love watching them out the windows to our balcony. We have Hairy, Downy, Yellowhammer and Pileated woodpeckers where we live.
Becky
That is one eXtra smart hubby.
Interesting solution. Now I want to know why a woodpecker would leave rather than pecking away at the owl.
Question – Did the woodpecker peck out “Deuling Banjos” in response to your husbands humming?
That owl is a champ!!! and darn your hubbie is one smart guy!!!
So funny! Glad you found a solution that didn’t require a grill.
LOL Plus, it would have probably just tasted like chicken anyway.
thanks for visiting and stopping by! I’m following back.
Ok woodpeckers are afraid of the owl just like scarecrows . brilliant!
Co-incidentally, we both used the same word for this week. I like this story, and I’m glad the woodpecker was gone..
ha ha ha!!! love this post! so clever!
Well done in routing the woodpecker. We may copy you, as there is a woodpecker doing bad things to a beautiful birch tree in our drive.
Your bird in the tree may have worked- good idea. I always hear one in the back of my property banging his brains out in the woods lol. I love all wildlife but when it becomes a nuisance or destroying property then not so much