Hi! Just thought I'd pass along some behavior of the spectacular Pileated
Woodpecker. We have two suet feeders: one consisting of a 12" log drilled on
4 sides (2 on each side, one above the other) attached to a Douglas Fir and
another hanging from under the house eaves next to the siskin/goldfinch seed
cylinder.
This morning, I watched a male woodpecker first attack the tree
feeder from the top, bottom, and both sides (practically demolishing the log) and
then, perhaps attracted by the birds feeding along the porch railing, he
flew over to the nearest upright and began investigating the new suet. It was
comical to see this huge bird trying to figure out how to get to the suet--he
spent several minutes,swivelling his large head and beak up, down, and
around--meanwhile,pecked at the suet droppings on the railing. He was so close to
my window I could have reached out and touched him! We usually hear him
before we see him. M.


(Mrs.) Murray Hansen
Graham, WA
MurrayH at aol.com