Subject: Pileated WP question -Reply
Date: Oct 21 09:16:05 1999
From: Yvonne Bombardier - ravenn at premier1.net


I've been feeding birds for over 20 years and for ten years here in
Washington. This year was the first time I ever had a Pileated come to
my Suet feeder although I've had Pileateds in my yard for that
duration. It was this Spring and a female came to my feeder every day
for weeks. Activity in the yard didn't seem to affect her. I could sit
out in the yard and watch. She would eat for awhile and then fly down
to my bird bath which had a dripper and drink. I haven't seen her since
the summer but then I'm not home all that often to see what comes to the
feeder now.

Yvonne Bombardier
Everett, Wa
ravenn at premier1.net

Chris Thompson wrote:
>
> I'm a biologist and have worked on birds (including Pileateds) for most of my
> life. I've also lived around Pileated in various parts of the country since I was
> a kid, and have had suet feeders in my yard all of that time in rural settings.
> I've had about every other kind of woodpecker come to my suet feeders
> (various sizes as well)(except flickers, I think), but never Pileateds including
> here in Seattle where they are daily visitors to my yard. However, rarely, I
> have heard other people mention that they have had them come to their suet
> feeders......So, I surmise that it does happen, but probably is rare. Why? I'm
> not sure. Perhaps it has to do with the proximity of the feeder to human/pet
> activity and/or distance from "safety (forest cover etc.).
>
> Chris Thompson, Ph.D.
> Research Scientist
> Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife