Wilda & Woody, Woodpeckers We

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus),
female without the red moustache of the male.

"Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts" ~ Coleman Cox

Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat.
There it goes again.
Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat.
It's loud, a little to my left.
Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat.
A large sound... should be from a large bird. Oh! There he is! Hello, Woody or rather... Wilda (this one is a female)!

I love the woodpecker rhythm, as long as his performance site doesn't include the house. Fortunately, they have a variety of trees in the preserve to drum on; some dead, broken and hollow while others are fully alive and will soon bud. This lady, a female Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), looks a lot like the bird in Beverly's neck of the woods. She doesn't come to the feeder and it is just as well... she'd overwhelm the place.

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) female

Downy Woodpecker... male

The small downy woodpeckers love the suet feeders and are petite enough to navigate through the squirrel cage at the tube feeder with the finches feeding on the sunflower chips. The female lacks the small patch of red as seen on the male's head. This is one of the most abundant and widespread woodpecker species in the state. Winter or summer, we have them.

On our coldest day this week, I counted at least sixteen different varieties of birds at our feeder, even some who rarely get closer than the back fence. This may become a themed series... "Birds At My Feeder"? Hmm... yes, perhaps!

So..... to be continued.

(end of post)

PS: The woodpeckers wanted to visit Friday's Ark this week... I told them to be careful around the cats...