It's hard for us to comprehend sometimes why woodpeckers do what they do. Sometimes it's bugs, sometimes they are looking for a place to roost/nest, sometimes it's drumming. Looks like this one was serious about enlarging the hole, so making it into a woodpecker house might have been on his mind. Were that the case I'd invite him to stay and make a different chickadee house. As part of my evolving bluebird house design to defeat the various critters who want to expand the hole I've started reinforcing them. McMaster Carr sells nice stainless steel flat washers in every conceivable size. I take one with the right size hole for the bird house, drill a couple of screw holes through the edges and place it over the opening in the wood. Even the most determined squirrel or woodpecker doesn't have much success against 1/8-3/16" of stainless! Stainless are a little more expensive than plain steel, but they don't rust. When the houses pass their lifetime I recover the washer and re-use it on the next generation.

I've been so excited thinking I had a couple pileateds on my property. I didn't see them very well, to really I.D. them. I was just going by the call. Well, I've also been seeing 2 hawks (maybe Coopers??), spending time around our house/property (35 acres). I think they have a nest. Well just now, I thought I heard a pileated and waited for it to come into view, and sure enough, it was a hawk. I love thinking they have a nest around here, but we have lots of squirrels who I also love having.......but I think they will be the hawks' main food. the other day I was looking out the window at a squirrel on the ground. Down swoops one of the hawks and lands right behind it.......then flies off. I don't think the squirrel even knew it was there, because it kept hunting in the grass. Whew......I know that's just nature, but I don't want to see it happen. Anyhow........do Cooper's hawks sound like a pileated? Thanks! I will try to get a good picture sometime, but they only seem to swoop fast.

We live in a wooded area and have had problems with woodpeckers ruining our cedar siding. We're looking to replace it with LP Smartside. Anyone have experience with LP Smartside? Thank you!

Pesky when the pound the house, no? Yes, do tend to that wood to get rid of the woodpecker food from there. It might be the wood he's pecking on, and also could be bugs further in and this is the "closest to the surface" spot that the bird is pecking to get access into deeper. And it might sound a bit counter-productive, but consider putting out some woodpecker food feeders elsewhere but not too far away in your yard. Try luring the little guy off to some feed to leave your house alone while you get it fixed. If you got a wood post or tree bit that you don't mind getting pecked up, you can try "washing" it with some sweet goo to attract insects to there. Live and easy access feed for the bird.