When I got up (the second time) this morning (it's way pitch black when I get the kids up) I looked out my bedroom window to see a bright, blue wonderful Blue Jay sitting right outside. He was enjoying, or at least tolerating, the company of a Red Bellied Woodpecker. For the past 2 days, I've had birds on my mind. I filled several of the feeders, only to have the damn raacccoons empty several of them on the very first night, and have been continually amazed at how fast the critters, welcomed and not welcomed, find the feeders. This winter I'm going to make a concerted effort to feed my bird friends from my hands. They'll land on hats-on-heads that are covered with seeds, but bare hand feeding will be new for us.
Anywho, I figured it was a loverly way to start my day. Blue jays are one of those birds that lots of folks around here consider as dirt birds. They're big, they're noisy, and they hog lots of space at the feeders. But they're so cool looking! And what's not to love about Red bellied Woodpeckers? Even though their bellies aren't all that red.
It rained a good part of the night, and this morning it was just one of those dreary, sloppy rains. (Did I mention the thunder-snow-lighting thing that happened on Saturday? Very weird.) Just plain yucky this morning.
I was in the kitchen standing on my tippie toes watching the titmice and chickadees that found the front feeders. They zoom in from the trees across the yard and pull up just in time at the feeders. DH was sitting in the family room, doing his crossword puzzle, talking to his bro on the phone, when he starts yelling, "Right in front of you! Right in front of you! Piliated! Piliated!" I looked out the window and in a couple of seconds I saw it! PILIATED Woodpecker! WOOT! We see them briefly in the yard once or twice a year, but this one was just pounding away, right in plain sight.
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| DH's view from the crossword puzzle chair...... |
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| Where the hell is it??? |
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| THERE IT IS!!!! |
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Think think think..... where's the camera? Which lens is on it? Do I bother to put shoes on? (hell no)
Take pics, take pics, take pics! Document that it's really our front yard! Oh crap the card is full! Where's the phd cameras--swap cards!
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| Now it's over by the swing set! Yeah right in our front yard! |
I had the feeling that there was more than one bird, but it was only an inking, that funny little feeling birders get sometime. But there was only one. In the front yard.
Flap flap flap swoop--it's gone! Flew over the house to the back yard. Run to the bedroom and out on to the deck. Dang, rain gushing out of our very expensive gutters. . .
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| Yeah, let all that cold damp air in. |
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| Dang. Which tree? |
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| Wait a minute....... |
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There's TWO of them!!!!
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Lucky you! I have yet to see a PILIATED with my own eyes. Your story brought a smile to my face.
ReplyDeleteThank you
I LOVE our Blue Jays! They're ALL OVER our neighborhood in the mornings and then thin out as the cardinals and robins take over a bit more later in the day.
ReplyDeleteWe had lots of "Woody's" in our backyard when I lived in Ormond Beach, FL. Unfortunately, our house had wood siding and we lived in the woods. The piliated woodpeckers LOVE to eat Carpenter Bee larva. Our fascia boards on the house were a prime target for the bees to drill their holes to lay their eggs. While the bees just left a nice small round hole that was visible from the outside, they would then tunnel into the wood horizontally to lay their eggs. When the woodpeckers "dined" at our house, they would start at the visible opening and then peck all the way down the fascia board - sometimes 8-10" to get to the tasty snack awaiting there. Our fascia boards were a mess! Oh, and the woodpeckers would only come to dine about 10 minutes after I would lay down for an afternoon nap! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!! My neighbors probably wondered why they would see me run out my front door and yell at my roof, not knowing that as the maitre'd of the casa, I was shooing away uninvited dinner guests! However, when the woodpeckers chose to dine on any of the 100 trees surrounding our house, I enjoyed watching them! :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome sighting. I'm never quick enough with the camera for woodpeckers. Soon I'll be feeding the quail, cardinals and blue jays, amongst others.
ReplyDeleteThese guys are the aristocrats of woodpeckers!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteYour little Woodpecker is lovely to see.... Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThey are magnificent birds! I would love to see one.
ReplyDeleteThere are Pileated Woodpeckers here along the Pine but they are a rare sight indeed. I completely understand your mania. It is such an unexpected occurrence then poof, you don't see one for another few years. After a diet of our "normal" woodies it is hard to believe how big these guys are. Here's hoping you see yours often. Keep that camera handy! I didn't remember you where an Alma alumni. As you mentioned, just up stream!
ReplyDeleteCheers Marianna!
Thanks for reminding me of the joy when you see one of these huge woodpeckers.:)
ReplyDeleteI love the Pileated woodpeckers. They are awesome looking birds. I see them in the woods next to my house. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteit's always cool to see pileated woodpeckers -- it's surprising how large they really are!
ReplyDelete