Mystery Mortar holes

[kweiss]

Found these on a home last week. One year old. These small holes were obviously added on purpose all the way around the home. There were typical weepholes present in the bottom course of bricks. Nothing particularly unusual about the construction. I have done many houses in this neighborhood and not seen this before. Any ideas what they are for and why?

[Richard A. Hetzel]

A picture of one doesn't help much. If we could see where they are and whether there is any discernible pattern to their placement, maybe we could hazard a guess.

[kweiss]

They don't show up in that kind of picture. They are regularly spaced, just like weepholes, all around the house.

[Carl A. Brown]

Sounds like someone has pulled the rope out.

[Michael R. Boyett]

Kevin...while I have never heard of nor seen this brick laying method it may shed some light on your upper "weep holes". Watch this video, especially at the 2:00 mark or so: Brick veneer

[Jack L. Gilleland]

It is the dreaded Red Breasted Mortor Pecker.

[Richard A. Hetzel]

I've never seen or heard of the practice of providing "ventilation" behind a brick veneer either, and I doubt that those little pipsqueaks pictured provide any meaningful ventilation. The practice, as shown in the video, of leaving an entire vertical mortar joint open for weeps or ventilation is frowned upon, because all sorts of creatures can get through such large openings and make their home inside the wall, or further inside the home.