If you hear someone hammering in the woods, don't be surprised if it's not a person.

The Pileated Woodpecker is about the size of a crow, with a brilliant red crest and a powerful beak that can chisel into solid wood. The large, rectangular holes it leaves behind become homes for owls, flying squirrels, ducks, and many other animals long after the woodpecker has moved on.

But sometimes... they peck things that aren't trees.

One summer at the lake, a pileated woodpecker landed on my car and started hammering on the roof. It wasn't trying to eat the car-it was making as much noise as possible.

In spring, woodpeckers drum on anything that will echo: hollow trees, metal roofs, chimneys, utility poles... and apparently, parked cars. They're announcing to every other woodpecker, "This is my territory!"

The louder the sound, the better.

Next time you're at the lake...

If you hear rapid knocking echoing through the forest, stop for a moment before looking.

Listen.

Then scan the trunks of large dead trees.

With a bit of luck, you'll spot one of the forest's busiest carpenters-and if it chooses your car instead, don't take it personally. It's just trying to impress another woodpecker.