Tweetsters, in the thirteen years we've been in Edmonds on "our" hill we
have had Pileateds quite often; feeding, nesting,cavorting and yes on our
suet. The number of times on the suet that we have been able to observe is
less than twenty...I would guess about 10-12 times. They always prefer the
suet with insects in it, but have taken the cherry/orange/sunflower combo
too. They also prefer the suet feeder to be stable, on a tree if you don't
have a squirrel problem,but they have hung upside down on my swinging
feeders too!

Darryl
Edmonds
<birds at cmc.net>










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>Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 07:22:31 -0700
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>From: Chris Thompson <THOMPCWT at dfw.wa.gov>
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>Subject: Pileated WP question -Reply
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>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
>
W.Darryl Thompson