Thunk, Thunk, Thunk-thunk echoed from
a tree along the river, and then it stopped. Thunk, Thunk-thunk, Thunk it began
again. And there on a branch, was a pileated woodpecker hammering away at the
limb. It was a female with her black “mustache”. She kept working on the
branch for a while, then flew to the trunk of a nearby tree, but never gave a clear view or moved
completely out of the shadows.
More thunking sounded from a tree
closer than the one on which the female landed. This emanated from a male (bearing the
red “mustache” sported by male pileateds), leading to the conclusion that this was almost certainly a mated pair.
He was feeding at a limb on a
riverside silver maple, rapidly gulping insects as he extracted them from the wood –
Carpenter ants, which live in both
live and dead trees, are a favorite food of pileated woodpeckers. In watching
the video of this male he certainly seemed to be feeding on ants –
Pileated woodpeckers are usually quite wary, but this bird was so preoccupied with his meal
that he ignored me as I turned and slowly walked away.
I've never seen pictures of a Pileated that good! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I love the pileated woodpecker. Frequent visitor to my woods.
ReplyDeleteLovely! They are splendid birdies. I'm hoping to see them in West Virginia this weekend.
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Hello, beautiful photos and video. The Pileated Woodie is a gorgeous bird. Great post. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely creature! His distinct features are incredible!
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