This morning I was in the kitchen cooking up a storm and happened to look out of my front window just as she landed on the trunk of a fur tree we had cut down 2yrs ago. :-D I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So I ran and got my camera and started clicking away. The photo's are a bit out of focus. But I was so happy to this woodpecker up close and personal. I have hoped for years that one would come to our suet feeder. But this is almost as good. She stayed around for about 10 min. working on finding a bug to two in now dead tree stump. Pileated Woodpecker ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden ) Pileated female ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden ) Such neat woodpeckers. ( photo / image / picture from Tooty2shoes's Garden ) I was so thrilled as you can tell. I had seen a pair of them fly over our house this last summer so I knew they where in our area. But this is really neat to have one dine in your front yard.
Nice pictures!! They are a magnificent bird. I saw once, I wish I could see more. You are lucky to get close enough for pictures. Jerry
What interesting fotos. I have read about these magnificent birds since someone posted pics of them a couple of years ago. It seems so odd to see them near "civilization". I really find these so interesting to look as, as they look nothing like the ones that we get here. It's their heads, with that red jay-like tuft. I wonder if this species was the one used as a model for the drawing of the famous, "Woody Woodpecker". Anyway, great pics of this elusive bird.
I know just how you feel about seeing 'your' woodpecker Tooty. The first time I saw one visiting my garden the neighbours must have thought I'd gone mad. I found myself dancing around the garden and punching into the air - just couldn't contain myself. I hope yours becomes a regular visitor now.
Your photos are very good--woodpeckers are notoriously hard to photograph. You are so smart to leave a stump for wildlife--fallen trees and dead trees (if they are no threat to life or home) or a good stump can feed lots of birds, including your woodpecker. We have Red-bellied woodpeckers, but not the more showy Pileated. Thank you for sharing your find!
Yes If you have ever heard them scolding you for looking at them. You can here that "Woody Woodpecker" sound. We have quite a few around here. They sound like they are going to attack our house sometimes. Our friend has an old rotten stump that he put on his deck. He gets pictures all the time. You are so lucky to have had such a visitor Tooty. Barb in Pa.
Great shots! I have one at work that does not let me take it's photo...it always moves to the other side of the tree!!
Jerry they sure are magnificent. We live out in the country with a wooded river valley behind us which makes for great woodpecker habitat. Sjoerd like Barb said, I bet they did us them as the model for Woody The Woodpecker. Oh boy. Now we are really dating ourselves. Kathyd I do the same thing. But usually by the time he gets to where I have spotted them they are gone. Eileen I to felt like dancing around but was afraid I would scare off the woodpecker :-D From the way the tree stump looks it has been there several times looking for a meal. Marlingardener we have those also. They come to my suet feeder along with the Downy & the Hairy. We have quite the crew of Downy's. At times there are 6 waiting in line to eat suet. My honey will say that we should cut such and such dead tree down. I tell him no way. They are wonderful bird feeding stations and homes for woodpeckers. This last summer our one neighbor cut down several big dead trees that were in the river bottom land. Not a threat to anything. Made me hopping mad. Our dead trees stay until they fall over by themselves. Then we still leave them for the critters. This summer we also had the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker and Yellow Shafted Flicker visit our yard. :-D I love watching them all. Barb they noise they make, makes one think they are in the jungle. To me they even look a little prehistoric. Netty-funny how they do that. It's almost like they are taunting you.
Thanks Barb in Pa and 2T. That is interesting info. Is Woody Woodpecker really old then? We see the cartoons here on the telly sometimes. Anyway--I do find it a fascinating bird.
Yes he is at least 50yrs old. I think even a little older than that maybe. The first Woody didn't look as good as he does now. I saw a show on the cartoonist who came up with him. He looked kind of bizarre when he was first created. Kind of like a Woodpecker on steroids. Pretty funny. Glad you liked the pic's. Have a super day. 2T
Hopefully I don't get "in trouble with Frank or Toni" but here is what I hear all the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwFMcutDt2o Go look at that. Barb in Pa.
Yup Barb they sure do sound strange. I listened to their mating call it sounded like a chicken in hyper speed. Really neat.
What a nice bird! You did well to capture it with your camera. I know your excitement because we also left a tree stump and got a woodpecker visitor a year or so later. I plan to cut down two other trees and leave the stumps for a couple of years, and I do hope a woodpecker will come and visit.
Thank you droopy. Yup leave those stumps and they will come. Glad you did that for the birds. A lot of people would just cut them off at ground level because they do not want to look at a stump. I can think of all kinds of artist or funny things to put on a stump.
