Hardheaded woodpecker bores holes in world's largest hockey stick

A Vancouver Island landmark is getting some unwanted attention from a woodpecker.

A northern flicker is hard at work drilling holes in the world's largest hockey stick in Duncan, B.C.

Lori Iannidinardo, chair of the Cowichan Valley Regional District, said staff spotted the bird on April 7 and soon tried to determine if there was a nest.

"They put a patch over the hole and the woodpecker came back and pecked another one," Iannidinardo said. "...So now we have two holes in the stick."

Duncan, B.C.'s humongous hockey stick

36 years ago

Duration 1:10

The puck stops here as a B.C. town hoists the world's largest stick and puck.

The stick, which is62 metres long and weighs 28,000 kilograms, was originally built for Expo 86 in Vancouver before arriving at the Cowichan Community Centre along with a giant puck.Iannidinardo describes it asan important community asset.

"We don't want to have it full of holes filling up with water, but we think that the northern flicker is winning this one," she said.

Crews put up a plastic owl to scarethe bird away. The bird was having none of it.

Iannidinardo said it is mating season and the woodpecker may be looking to attract a mate.

"Hopefully he will find his mate and maybe move on without too many holes in our hockey stick," she said.

And if the hardheaded bird decides to stick around?

"We'll have to be doing a whole lot of patching."