Contemplating Woodpeckers

 
"Woody Woodpecker". Size is about 16-19 inches for adults.
     This is a male Pileated woodpecker. He has a red cheek stripe,; the female looks the same but no red cheek stripe.

I love the 'laughing' sound of the Pileated when it's flying through the tree tops. That is how I usually spot them, or of course, by the jack hammer sound when they are drilling for bugs. They fly erratically with a swooping motion, much like "woody woodpecker", the cartoon bird. But recently I was putting a dish in the sink and spotted motion through the window from the corner of my eye. I stopped and stood like a statue using only my eyes to cut left and see a pair of pileated right there on the pink dogwood not 10 feet away, gobbling berries ! As you can see from my photo, they are large heavy birds about crow size and the berries that were left after the song birds gorged were far out on flimsy branches. I cautiously slid back from the window and rushed for my camera. I set it up then slid slowly into view hoping to capture both together, but the female was very skittish and flew, while the male was focused on the prize. That's the one you see here. 

I had seen them in the tree several days prior, but never managed to get the camera in time before they spooked. I would stand still with camera poised for so long that I'd cramp, and had to stop, and of course that's when they would appear again, and I never could get a picture. You really have to have perseverance if you want to get a good picture. I feel lucky to have captured these ! 

We try to leave rotting and dead trees standing as long as they are not in danger of falling where they can hurt anything.They draw in so many birds and actually other creatures that find homes in the rotting wood. All the woodpeckers love these trees and the Pileated will actually make its home in a hollowed out tree top. Owls , squirrels and flying squirrels just to name a few use these trees. There is a whole food chain going on with them. Spring is coming, and the beginning of new life is evident all around me. We try to keep our land as natural as we can without it becoming an eye sore, trying to balance natural and esthetically pleasing areas. We do have beautiful birds, and another blog will showcase another species ! Bring on the birds!