I will never forget looking out a window when I was in my early 20’s and seeing this pterodactyl-like bird pecking at a stump! I had no idea what it was and spent over an hour watching it! Incredible birds! I had no idea of how important they are as a keystone species! Once again, I learned something from your wonderful post and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful and evocative writing! 💜💙💚
I hope their size and the thrill at seeing them continues to garner good will with people and maintain their numbers. Flickers are heavily shot and persecuted for pecking at house siding, which is terrible as they're a protected species! Seeing a Pilleated always makes my day!
Seeing a pileated always makes my day, too! 💚💙 I'm so glad you brought up flickers. It's tragic that people shoot them for pecking their houses (often they're just alerting other flickers that the house is part of their territory). I don't think many people realize that they're a protected species so thanks for mentioning that!
Maybe it’s because of a childhood hours spent watching the irrepressible ‘Woody’ but seeing woodpeckers, even the one who is trying to demo our house, is always a thrill! 🥰
I always enjoy seeing woodpeckers, too! The woodpecker that's knocking on your house is probably a Northern Flicker (a protected species). I once lived in a house with a metal roof and every spring I was awakened to what sounded like machine-gun fire on the roof. It was a flicker that had found the loudest, best drumming post in the neighborhood.😄 The sound of its territorial drumming must have carried for miles!
Nice post, Sophie! At once regal and comic--such a good observation! Yes, well put, about how even a brief encounter with wildlife in nature can boost our moods all day long. :-)
Lovely! I had no idea they were the size of crows!
As an aside, Sophie, finally this weekend, on the 28th, finally I heard beautiful birdsongs while walking Olivia and Otis. The MerlinID app recorded: Northern Cardinal, Purple Martin, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, America Robin, House Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, and the European Starling! Spring is around the corner! I felt so happy!
Thanks, Russell! Pileateds are indeed big! It made me SO happy to hear about all of the great birds that are singing in your area! (Hooray for Merlin!!) You heard A LOT of different species! I can't believe you have Purple Martins already! I just learned that they are one of the earliest South American migrants to arrive in the Spring. You should check out their range on Cornell's All About Birds site. It's amazing how far those martins have just travelled. Spring feels all the more incredible when you're tuned in to the birds around you. Western Meadowlarks and Say's Phoebes just started singing in my neighborhood. Like you, the birdsong has made me feel so happy! Winter blues begone! 💙💚 P.S. Pats to Olivia and Otis! : )
Yay, Sophie! Another wonderful post full of hope, poetic imagery, and fun facts! Thank you for sharing! I don't see these impressive woodpeckers often enough, living outside their normal range, but they and their South American Campephilus counterparts are truly spectacular! Their energy and enthusiastic activities put a spring in my step every time!
Thank you, Diane!! 💙💚 I don't think I even realized when I lived in Laramie that we were outside the pileateds range! I was so used to seeing them in Montana and Idaho. The Dryocopus and Campephilus woodpeckers are indeed spectacular (if only the Ivory-billed were still with us). I'm so glad you've had a chance to enjoy so many of them! I want to see a Black Woodpecker!
Beautiful essay on a beautiful bird! I always love your "small steps" suggestions, and these don't disappoint. I am a big fan of snags and strongly echo your call to leave them and downed trees alone. They contribute so much. Thanks Sophie.
Thank you to a beautiful photographer! 💙💚 And hooray for snags! I'm so happy to hear that you love my "small steps" suggestions. It's so hard to not feel dispirited by the state of our birds, but I really do feel like action is the antidote to despair. We just need LOTS more of us out there taking small steps for birds. I'm wondering if I saw the pair that used to visit your suet feeder. I saw my pair between LaFontaine and your old house! : )
I will never forget looking out a window when I was in my early 20’s and seeing this pterodactyl-like bird pecking at a stump! I had no idea what it was and spent over an hour watching it! Incredible birds! I had no idea of how important they are as a keystone species! Once again, I learned something from your wonderful post and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful and evocative writing! 💜💙💚
They DO look like pterodactyls! : ) I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! I always learn new things while writing them, too! : )💙💚🐦
I hope their size and the thrill at seeing them continues to garner good will with people and maintain their numbers. Flickers are heavily shot and persecuted for pecking at house siding, which is terrible as they're a protected species! Seeing a Pilleated always makes my day!
Seeing a pileated always makes my day, too! 💚💙 I'm so glad you brought up flickers. It's tragic that people shoot them for pecking their houses (often they're just alerting other flickers that the house is part of their territory). I don't think many people realize that they're a protected species so thanks for mentioning that!
Maybe it’s because of a childhood hours spent watching the irrepressible ‘Woody’ but seeing woodpeckers, even the one who is trying to demo our house, is always a thrill! 🥰
I always enjoy seeing woodpeckers, too! The woodpecker that's knocking on your house is probably a Northern Flicker (a protected species). I once lived in a house with a metal roof and every spring I was awakened to what sounded like machine-gun fire on the roof. It was a flicker that had found the loudest, best drumming post in the neighborhood.😄 The sound of its territorial drumming must have carried for miles!
Nice post, Sophie! At once regal and comic--such a good observation! Yes, well put, about how even a brief encounter with wildlife in nature can boost our moods all day long. :-)
Thanks, Brandon! Encounters with wildlife in nature may be what's keeping many of us sane these days! : )
Another really good one, thank you Sophie!
Thank you, Dana!! 💙💚
Lovely! I had no idea they were the size of crows!
As an aside, Sophie, finally this weekend, on the 28th, finally I heard beautiful birdsongs while walking Olivia and Otis. The MerlinID app recorded: Northern Cardinal, Purple Martin, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, America Robin, House Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, and the European Starling! Spring is around the corner! I felt so happy!
Thanks, Russell! Pileateds are indeed big! It made me SO happy to hear about all of the great birds that are singing in your area! (Hooray for Merlin!!) You heard A LOT of different species! I can't believe you have Purple Martins already! I just learned that they are one of the earliest South American migrants to arrive in the Spring. You should check out their range on Cornell's All About Birds site. It's amazing how far those martins have just travelled. Spring feels all the more incredible when you're tuned in to the birds around you. Western Meadowlarks and Say's Phoebes just started singing in my neighborhood. Like you, the birdsong has made me feel so happy! Winter blues begone! 💙💚 P.S. Pats to Olivia and Otis! : )
Yay, Sophie! Another wonderful post full of hope, poetic imagery, and fun facts! Thank you for sharing! I don't see these impressive woodpeckers often enough, living outside their normal range, but they and their South American Campephilus counterparts are truly spectacular! Their energy and enthusiastic activities put a spring in my step every time!
Thank you, Diane!! 💙💚 I don't think I even realized when I lived in Laramie that we were outside the pileateds range! I was so used to seeing them in Montana and Idaho. The Dryocopus and Campephilus woodpeckers are indeed spectacular (if only the Ivory-billed were still with us). I'm so glad you've had a chance to enjoy so many of them! I want to see a Black Woodpecker!
Beautiful essay on a beautiful bird! I always love your "small steps" suggestions, and these don't disappoint. I am a big fan of snags and strongly echo your call to leave them and downed trees alone. They contribute so much. Thanks Sophie.
Thank you to a beautiful photographer! 💙💚 And hooray for snags! I'm so happy to hear that you love my "small steps" suggestions. It's so hard to not feel dispirited by the state of our birds, but I really do feel like action is the antidote to despair. We just need LOTS more of us out there taking small steps for birds. I'm wondering if I saw the pair that used to visit your suet feeder. I saw my pair between LaFontaine and your old house! : )