Hi Bob and Tweets,

Bothell pileateds, probably like all pileateds, who knows, absolutely adore
apples. I have a small "orchard" with three apple trees and have lived
here for 15 years (top of 228th east of Canyon Park, very forested). Every
year the pileated family comes in with whoops and shouts and pecks every
apple in sight. Whether they just like apple or are seeking worms and
things in the apples, I don't know. My orchard long ago disintegrated into
"native habitat," and I'm happy they like apples.

Cheers, Diann

Diann MacRae
Bothell
tvulture at halcyon.com


At 11:36 PM 4/5/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi,
>I see a Pileated every couple months near my house in suburban Bothell (on
>hilltop near 228th and Meridian). Most have been flying over my
>neighborhood apparently toward larger conifer stands nearby. However, one
>day in the fall of 1997 (wish I had good field notes on this one), I saw a
>male that appeared to be feeding on apples in a neighbors lone, 8 ft apple
>tree. It flew from the trunk, to outer branches, dislodged an apple or two,
>then pecked at apples on the ground. Anybody seen this behavior before?
>Are the Bothell Pileateds starving or just adapting to suburban living?
>Bob
>BobS at BestNet.com
>