[birding] FW: Interesting P. Woodpecker antics

[Chris Miller]

This was stuck in my outbox - had the wrong list address - sorry!

The P. Woodpecker in this post has since become a regular visitor.

 

Chris Miller

mcmillerz at peak.org

 

From: Chris Miller [mailto:mcmillerz at peak.org] 
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 9:51 AM
To: Douglas Robinson (douglas.robinson at oregonstate.edu);
list-request at midvalleybirding.org
Subject: Interesting P. Woodpecker antics

 

Hi all,

 

I've been consumed with a daughter's wedding the first part of summer, so my
birding has been minimal.

Fortunately, I had an interesting and amusing view of a Pileated Woodpecker
right in my back yard!

I was headed around to my back yard, which borders thick mixed forest, and
down flies a male juvenile P. Woodpecker, low onto a Fir tree in the yard.

This is in itself unusual, because I can spot them in the forest, but they
never cross the fence boundary!. He proceeded to poke around a suet feeder,
investigate a bird bath, then flew to the lawn on a fresh mole-mound (those
mole critters are an abomination)! The P. W. sat on the mound, poking and
flinging fresh dirt all around, then began pressing his breast onto the
mound. He stuck his beak into the dirt several times, then flattened the
mound completely! Nice of him to do that for me! He then proceeded into some
low shrubs to investigate additional mole hills! After apparently satisfying
his curiosity, and once more checking out the birdbath, he flew back into
the forest. I was dumbfounded and amused - all while standing fairly close
by - not moving of course.  What a treat to see uncharacteristic Pileated
Woodpecker behavior. The young ones can be so entertaining when they haven't
yet learned the accepted Woodpecker protocols and expectations!  

Perhaps others have seen similar Pileated Woodpecker activity, but this was
a first and memorable one for me!

 

Chris Miller

mcmillerz at peak.org

 

"Hope is the thing with feathers perched in the soul"

 - Emily Dickinson

 



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