I spent a few hours looking at sparrows in the cattail marsh. They were quite elusive and camera shy. I love the friendly little Downies.....they are so tame :) This one was finding quite a few insects in the cattail stems.

Tags:   downy woodpecker savage quad

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After an afternoon of owling I stopped at the lake to check the waterfowl. The mystery tree was full of Aerican Robins again. I was delighted to see this Red-bellied Woodpecker fly in to eat some berries too. I was a bit frozen with the blustery wind and single digit temperature...worth braving the cold to watch the birds feasting :)

Tags:   red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus explore explored savage quad

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I neglect photographing my feeder birds in the warmer months. I feed all year and one of my favorite sights are the woodpecker younsgters. They are very fond of the peanut butter suet and peanuts.

Tags:   red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus

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"Pileated Woodpeckers forage in large, dead wood—standing dead trees, stumps, or logs lying on the forest floor. They make impressive rectangular excavations that can be a foot or more long and go deep inside the wood. These holes pursue the tunnels of carpenter ants, the woodpecker’s primary food. The birds also use their long, barbed tongues to extract woodboring beetle larvae (which can be more than an inch long) or termites lying deep in the wood. When hammering into this soft wood, Pileated Woodpeckers use their long necks to pull far back from the tree, then make powerful strikes with their heavy bills, pulling with their feet to increase the strength of the blow. The sound is often audible as a heavy thunk, and large chips of wood collect on the ground below. Pileated Woodpeckers are monogamous and hold large territories; it’s rare to see more than two birds together at a time. When one member of a pair dies, the other often gains a new mate, and this is one of the main ways that new individuals get a chance to breed and hold a territory. Their flight is strong, but slow and slightly undulating; the wingbeats are deep but quick and somewhat unevenly paced." Cornell

Tags:   Pileated Woodpecker pileated Woodpecker bird

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"The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens." Cprnell

Tags:   Pileated Woodpecker pileated Woodpecker bird

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