We also had a visit from a Pileated Woodpecker...he is very shy. It is indeed a male, he has a red moustache and the red crest on his head goes all the way down to his bill. ( A female has no red moustache and her crests stops half way to her bill)
As you can see he is quite large and when he is in the woods attacking a tree it is quite loud. Their breeding season is just beginning. ( They can eat a fair amount of suet in a day!)
We have had quite a time with squirrels....they found our peanut butter feeder... hung upside down and chewed the peanut butter jar into bits and pieces and even stole the cap with the special holder...I spied it way off in the yard...not going to retrieve it until spring. Yesterday a smarter than average squirrel took the cover off the bird feeder and sat down inside for a snack...buggers. This must be their breeding season as they are starving and destructive.
Far Side
I would love to feed the birds, but the other half hated the constant battle with the squirrels so we don't anymore. I may pick that up one day again. I'd like to have a good place to observe with a nice long lens!
ReplyDeleteAppts today so it will be a very long one. Have a good day!
What a beautiful bird! Who would want to mate in that cold? But then maybe it helps them keep warm? LOL! I think I might start feeding the birds again. Without the girls I have a little extra pocket change and I could use the company. I love to watch them.
ReplyDeleteWe have big woodpeckers too. The big trees we are cutting up look like they've been shot at by a machine gun they are so full of holes.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago I had a Red-Bellied Woodpecker feeding in my yard. This past year no such luck. Love watching them. I also have a squirrel problem and have purchased special "baffles" that fit around my poles. Also stopped hanging a feeder anywhere near a tree.
ReplyDeleteI also fed the birds years ago, but the squirrels were such a nuisance I gave it up. Yesterday I heard the first chickadee mating call of the season! :-)
ReplyDeleteWe have made peace with the squirrels they eat what we put out and we laugh at their antics, the birds get their share before the squirrels come out and for the most part they have co-existed well in our back yard. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe squirrels have been especially ingenious this winter around my bird feeder. We get a cardinal every once in a while, lots of chickadees this winter, and always some finches. In the past we've had woodpeckers but I haven't seen or heard any this winter. We saw a blue jay about a month ago.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the pictures of the pileated woodpecker! 💖
ReplyDeleteI usually don’t see many birds in this area & I doubt my landlord would allow me to hang a feeder in the tree.
ReplyDeleteI love feeding the birds but Dennis won't let me do it anymore because the squirrels got so destructive, not only with the feeders, but then they started in on the house. So he made me stop. We have several woodpeckers in the neighborhood this winter. I'm not sure where they nested but one in particular sits on a road sign every day and rat-a-tat's on the sheet metal! Oh my goodness the racket that makes! You can hear it inside with the windows closed and it can give you a headache. I don't know how he does it without it hurting that birds head!?
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Breeding season makes for very interesting needs...FOOD! FOOD! and MORE FOOD!
ReplyDeleteWe had a terrible time with squirrels until we switched to hot pepper suet. The squirrels can't stand it and the birds eat it like the regular suet. Another benefit is that it is "no melt" so we can use it in summer as well. Love the photographs.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bird! I don't know that I've ever seen one like that before. For a shy bird, you certainly got some great photos.
ReplyDeleteI have a squirrel (at least I don't think there is more than one). He/she tends to come early in the morning before I fill the feeder. I don't mind it cleaning things up but I'd be cross if it was damaging the feeder.
Have a great day!
Not enough trees in our newish neighborhood for squirrels. I love to watch them. You get such a variety of birds!! Well, I have the partridges and jackrabbits and sparrows. I keep them fed all winter and they keep Annie and I entertained with their antics. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful picture you got of the Pileated Woodpecker! I love those birds and we get one sometimes in the Spring and Summer. We feed the birds and we also have a very large number of squirrels. I'm always chasing them away from the bird food. We get them corn cobs and it helps a little.
ReplyDeleteInteresting facts about the differing amounts of red on the male and female pileated woodpeckers. IF we have one visit again and IF it holds still long enough I'll have to look which sex it is.
ReplyDeleteOH how I relate to those squirrels stealing the birds food, and they are so pesky as they don't want to share with the birds! The woodpecker is so beautiful, we have a few at our feeders too, thanks for sharing the info, about them, have a blessed weekend.
ReplyDeleteSue
Great to see a Pileated!
ReplyDeletePileateds are a very majestic critter.
ReplyDeleteI guess squirrels get hungry too. I would wonder what to do if we had issues like that here (no squirrels in NZ).
ReplyDeleteDon't see squirrels here, but I do like the birds
ReplyDeleteWe have been having quite a time with squirrels too. We've spotted some red ones and they are really destructive. I'd hate to have to quit feeding the birds but I don't want the squirrels around. We've lived here for 37 years and this is the first year we've had issues with the squirrels. As you said, they are buggers!
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are clever and cute, but a menace.
ReplyDeleteYou get quite the variety of birds in your yard. Wonder where the red polls are this year though? Hope you're getting the nice warm weather we're getting this weekend! 40's are feeling great! Take care you two!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful woodpecker!
ReplyDeleteOh, he is so beautiful! We see them occasionally but never close up.
ReplyDelete