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WOODPECKERS, WHO HAVE migrated from Wales to Ireland, have caused a damage to ESB-owned poles which was led to the company having to carry out “substantial upgrade work” to sections of its network this year.
ESB Networks said the upgrades were carried out in Southeastern counties particularly – in the Aughrim and Tinahely areas of Wicklow – as a result of woodpecker damage.
One experts said the state’s infrastructure might have to adapt to allow these woodpeckers to stay in Ireland.
The company said some of the poles had to be replaced due to woodpecker damage which caused outages for some customers in the area.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland today, Niall Hatch of Birdwatch Ireland said these birds have arrived in Ireland in the last 20 years and a lot of the trees that cover the island are unsuitable for them.
Hatch said: “Woodpeckers peck on wood. The excavate nest cavities in tree trunks. As far as they’re concerned, an electricity pole is just a dead tree trunk, like any other, and they think it’s a good place for them to excavate and to nest in.”
He added that Ireland has a “remarkably low level of tree cover” and many of the trees are unsuitable for the woodpecker to nest in. Additionally, the species prefers dead or dying trees which are uncommon in Ireland.
“Particularly for excaving their nest holes, they like to have soft wood [...] For them, electricity pylons make good substitutes,” he added.
A spokesperson for ESB said the network is reliable and safe though birdlife damage to poles is one of the factors that leads to performance issues, including adverse weather events and overgrown trees impacting power lines.
The company said that woodpecker-damaged poles has “emerged” as an issue in recent years.
Hatch said that parts of Scotland experienced the same issues once the species of bird arrived there and “many parts of Europe” use different materials, such as metal, on their electricity poles to combat the problem.
“They’re obviously not aware of the damage they’re causing,” Hatch said.
“But as this bird is increasing in Ireland – it looks like it’s here to stay, the number are increasing and it’s great to have it here [...] but we may have to adapt slightly the way in which roll out our infrastructure to take account of this new arrival.”
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Didn’t think we had woodpeckers in ireland
@liam mc meel: shoot
@Philip Murphy: shoot them or se
@liam mc meel: I’ve been listening to them chipping away at the trees for a good few years now. Sounds like a machine gun being shot in the distance
@michael odwyer: Indeed! They can heard rattling away at the metal tops of telegraph poles along the banks of Lough Erne. Some noise to experience!
@liam mc meel: they are pecking up their passports on the way over.
@liam mc meel: only in last 20 years. They flew in from Wales.
@liam mc meel: It’s amazing, I’ve never seen one here. I was going to say they’re very striking :-D
Ha ha ha HA ha, Ha ha ha HA ha, heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!
Can’t comment on Finland taking action on illegal immigration. Why?
@paulinlavally@gmail.com: because the government told them not to let you
How about the so called professionals ESB put the electrical infrastructure underground? No let’s blame the woodpecker. And the top brass are earning €100,000s.
@robbie scanlon: How much do you think it would cost to put all the cables underground, billions? Are you willing to pay this extra on your bill? We allow one off developments and this is some of the cost associated with it.
@The next small thing: The cost, the cost, oh what about the cost.
These people are making hundreds of millions per year, let them upgrade their own infrastructure or get out of the game and let someone in that will think of everyone, including our animals.
You wanna punish the animal for getting in the way of capitalism!
@David: Bless your naivety if you think the end customer won’t pay the cost. I never mentioned animals in my comment so I don’t know why you brought that up however seeing as you have then surely you are against one off developments which destroys their habitat.
@robbie scanlon: why not blame the Donald
These woodpeckers are live wires with no forwarding address or postal code for billing purposes
@Jerry Collins: brilliant!!
They’re Welsh, not Poles. [Insert rant of choice about migrants]
Still not as irritating as the noise Mary Toilet makes when she opens her gob
@Peter Murray: and now your having a conversation with yourself
@Peter Murray: jeez Man are you ok??
Are those woodpeckers migrants from Wales.Shouldnt they be in direct provision and be made to apply for asylum
Wood (oops Would) treating telegraph poles with tar deter woodpeckers from damaging them?
@Garreth Byrne:
Not much fun if you are the worker that has to climb that pole after….
@Garreth Byrne: Or maybe change the material of the pole and stop punishing the wood pecker for being a wood pecker?
Nial “Hatch”…….. born for the job:)
@Edward Hughes: Ya gotta wonder if the name provoked his interest.
Amazing to have so many of them they run out of trees. We need more native trees and less conifer plantations…
Everyone says I’m paranoid for starting these Morse code lessons ,but I’m positive those woodpeckers are talking sh,t .
Seriously though, why have shops stopped stocking strawberries? Usually imported from Spain this time of year.
@Fintan Stack: oh Maaann!! Good point even though it’s such a First World problem… I used to grow my own I’d defo recommend it x
@Fintan Stack: parsnips from Spain too
Pesky woodpeckers, coming over here, taking our poles, messing with our trees! Round them all up and send them back! ;- )
@Mick Hanna: lol love it!!
These woodpeckers are live wires
Are these immigrant woodpeckers ?
Woodpeckers will not eat timber treated with creosote
Would these nests effect the overall structure safety and useable of these poles. I wouldn’t think so why not leave be.
Is this English?
Would these nests effect the overall structure safety and useable of these poles. I wouldn’t think so why not leave be.
@J M: “affect”. Apparently they do, since they are causing power outages.
Would these nests effect the overall structure safety and useable of these poles. I wouldn’t think so why not leave be.
Is this meant to be English?
Would they not set up the old poles they had to replace, so the birds can still nest in them? Or add new ones nearby that are shielded & leave the inhabited ones in place?
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