Sounds like a sapsucker to me. Not sure which species are in your particular area (where is Orting?), but we have three species in the state: Red-breasted, Red-naped and Williamson's. They typically start super-fast and then bring it down in tempo like you stated. Any other thoughts folks..?

Also, thanks to all about the BRBL's in Seattle. I'll expand my horizons a bit around the UW and U-Village and see if I can spot any.

Brett A. wolfe
Seattle, WA

Inga Holmquist <ingawh at yahoo.com> wrote:
Can anyone help me identify what woodpecker is
drumming in my woods? It doesn't really seem to
correspond to any of the written descriptions I can
find of drumming patterns.

The drum burst is brief - no more than 2 to 3 seconds.
It begins too fast to count individual beats, then
immediately slows, and ends with 3 or 4 irregular
taps. It's cry reminds me a bit of a gull. It
drummed maybe 4 - 5 times a minute for about 5
minutes.

I did not get a look at the bird. I live surrounded
by dense, mixed woods of fir, cedar, hemlock, alder
and maple, near Orting in Pierce County, Washington.
I have seen pileated woodpeckers in our woods, and the
final beats of this drum are loud and slow enough to
be the pileated, but the very quick openning burst
doesn't seem right at all.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Inga Holmquist
P.O. Box 1141
Orting, WA 98360
ingawh at yahoo.com



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