Guest Track Dog Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 How do you know that aint just a wood ****** you hear most of the time? Them great big wood hens around here will peck 3 or 4 times on a tree, eat a bug or two then peck 3 or 4 more times. Sounds a lot like what is described when wood knocks are being discussed. That is supposed to say woodpecker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasfooty Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 I know because I can knock on my window sill at night & usually get a loud answer from the woods, within less than 30 seconds. I don't think woodpeckers do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Because they returned the same number of knocks that I did for 45 minutes, twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Pileated Woodpeckers (or any N. American WPs) are not nocturnal, and roost in tree cavities at night (Not out drumming in the dark). I've heard and recorded these wood knocks.. from 9PM to 5AM. In addition... the nature and pattern of the knocks (by listening, and viewing a spectral analysis) are not the same, as WPs drumming or foraging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest azguy Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Because they returned the same number of knocks that I did for 45 minutes, twice. I've heard and recorded these wood knocks.. from 9PM to 5AM. In addition... the nature and pattern of the knocks (by listening, and viewing a spectral analysis) are not the same, as WPs drumming or foraging. Really, if you could get such regular responses, getting a BF on video should be easy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasfooty Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Please explain how it would be easy. Do you think they would just stand there with their stick, waiting for their turn to knock, while you walked up & took a little video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 (edited) Really, if you could get such regular responses, getting a BF on video should be easy... . The responses are not regular at all., but spread over a 5 year period Better chance of audio, and very slim to nil chance of video... Unless you like blurry forest scenery Edited December 6, 2012 by imonacan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 (edited) Wish it was that easy, azguy. The place where I got the knocks is closed for the winter (private property). And, I got the knocks at night, and I will not go out at night. I've never yet seen them. I hope to someday at the site close by. I do have really poor quality audio of the second night. The BFRO guys took it and I haven't seen it since. I am trying to find someone else who can listen to it and pull out the knocks and whistles, but am hampered by poor quality tools and I'm technologically challenged Working on it! Plus if I wanted to post it here, I'd have to edit it a whole bunch (and that would make people suspicious), because I cussed rather a lot - I'd have to put it on Youtube or something with a link or something. Edited December 6, 2012 by madison5716 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Madison, I'm willing to listen to your recording, and see what i can do with it, to isolate and amplify the sounds of interest. I use Adobe Audition and Bias Soundsoap for editing software. The trick is.. to not distort the sounds in Any way, but eliminate some of the noise floor and give it a boost, to better hear the sounds. You can upload your file to Soundcloud.com (after signing up for a free account) , or you could email the clip to me , in MP3 form. If you are interested, shoot me a PM. I posted this (and not PMed it), to help direct others... on where to start... after recording something interesting. I always enjoy comparing other "unknown" recordings, to my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salubrious Posted December 7, 2012 Moderator Share Posted December 7, 2012 How do you know that aint just a wood ****** you hear most of the time? Them great big wood hens around here will peck 3 or 4 times on a tree, eat a bug or two then peck 3 or 4 more times. Sounds a lot like what is described when wood knocks are being discussed. That is supposed to say woodpecker. A wood knock can be a hellava lot more powerful than any woodpecker can do. Imagine something that shakes the entire tree and you get more of the picture. A friend of mine had a wood knock experience that was right outside her house. She said she could hear the tree shake and the house did too. Not only that, but the speed of repetition was enough that she knew right away it could not be a person that did it. Another friend of mine experienced something similar, although the knock was about 1/4 mile away. He said it was so powerful, it sounded like someone hitting his outhouse with a 4X4 timber with all their might, but in rapid succession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMBigfoot Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 How do I know it aint just a woodpoker or not during the day, is I test it out. If I'm in an known BF area I will knock three times. If I get one reply knock, I'll wait. Then if it knocks three times I will reply with one knock. Then we just go back and forth and sometimes knocks come from up to three different locations. There's an interaction going on, that's what I listen for. I have lived out in the country here in Oregon for over 20 years now and have watched and listened to woodpokers, sapsuckers, flickers, and the steller and scrub jays make knocking sounds. I have tried my three knocks with them to see if I would get a reply. So far I haven't had any interaction with the birds, but I did get a pileated woodpoker to fly and land on a branch above me once. Also if you find a woodpoker in a tree, have a friend or someone walk over to that tree and give a few knocks and see if you can tell the difference between a woodpoker or woodknocker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowBorn Posted December 8, 2012 Moderator Share Posted December 8, 2012 You know when they are wood knocks or when they are from a wood ****** . Wood knocks are very distinct and are very short not like wood****** where they are long and move. In northern Michigan I have them answer back but in the lower part of Michigan there is no response to my knocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I participate in the Project FeederWatch and know what noises woodpeckers, sapsuckers and flickers make. Your suggestion is a strech. If you want to hear what their drumming (mating) sounds like there are numerous youtube videos. Personally I have never had any responses when I have been backpacking. I like to break my firewood by taking dead wood and whacking it on a tree and breaking it up that way. I'll have to pay more attention to any responses the next time I do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I only know for sure I heard wood knocks one time, just one knock and then answered. First knock from over north, one knock, maybe meaning me, one intruder so watch out, and then answered with one knock from across the highway, over south, maybe meaning yeah I see that human and thanks. Just guessing, no ESP or anything. Now a bird, it's knock knock knock knock from one spot and done. And if it's birds you are not going to hear knock knock knock knock from over there and then knock knock knock knock from over yonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCBFr Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 In my case it was 3 AM when I sleeply had to take an old dog out to potty and within 5 seconds of turning on the front light and opening the door was greeted with a knock that sounded like a major league homer off of a 100 MPG fastball. It took my brain a few seconds to wake up and say WTF. 30 seconds later we received a second knock that I was able to fix about 250 yards across the street on the edge of woods. At that point my brain had caught up and figured out know one was outside playing MLB at that hour and with it being pitch black it could only be nature. So I was thinking either bigfoot or world class buck beating on an oak. 30 seconds later a 3rd knock rang out that truelly could only be big wood on big wood. I cannot describe the sound other than louder and sharper than anything I could think of creating. Despite being a bigfoot enthusiast and completely awake I figured whatever could make that much noise was sending me a message that I received loud and clear. I grabbed my dog, went inside, locked the door, and promptly went back to sleep. To this day I regret not getting in the truck to take a look around. But for some reason, the thought never crossed my mind and the only thing I could think of was to get in and go to bed. It is the volume. No other animal including humans can come close to recreating it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts