Last fall I was surprised to see a Pileated Woodpecker flying in large
circles about five feet above the ground in front of the A. D. White
House. It repeatedly came within ten feet or so of the sidewalks busy
with human traffic.
A couple of weeks ago I managed to sneak up on a Pileated Woodpecker
drumming on a nice, resonant dead tree in Monkey Run South and to hold
my ear against the trunk. I highly recommend trying this. It was most
impressive. The entire trunk -- 15 or so inches in diameter -- shook
from the drumming.
Sydney Penner
Meena Haribal wrote:
I recently seem to be seeing Pileateds in suburban and urban areas.
Today I was driving on Spencer road when I saw a Pileated fly on to a
tree near the car wash. Recently, I have seen Pileateds from the bus
in East Ithaca area, one at the junction of Honness and Pine Tree
Road, one on Synder Hill Road, one on Snyder Hill and Sky Vue road.
Looks like they are moving into more populated area.
A dead trunk on maple on my driveway is being excavated buy a
woodpecker. There is big hole and large chunks of wood on the
driveway. Don’t know who is doing it. I know Red-bellied is around the
yard whole lot of time. I will keep watch.
A robin has built a nest in my yews, must be the same female who used
to attack me in my garden last year. I was standing in the living room
inside the house and male saw me and started giving alarm call. She
popped out of the bush to check out the intruder or danger.
In Mundy the Pileateds are nesting in a large Sycamore this year. A
few days ago, I saw a male drumming on a dead trunk. When I looked at
him, I found that the lower part below the lower beak was all red, I
thought he was bleeding after drumming J) So I looked at him with my
binoculars that is when I realized that it was his plumage! I had
never seen this character! I came back and checked the field guide to
see that the red is nicely depicted in the book! After seeing the
picture, I felt a little embarrassed that I had never seen this
character in last 16 years!
But hey that shows there is lots to learn about everyday subjects!
Meena Haribal
Ithaca NY
http://haribal.org/
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