Sorry if the picture isn't too clear. This woody was on one side of the pond and I was on the other.
What kind of woodpecker is this?
That looks like a beautiful Pileated. If he sounds like Woody Woodpecker, you can be sure it is! I was very surprised the first time I heard one that they actually sound like that.
Yes they do!, there were two of them the other day. I also saw one with a long neck at the pond across from me but I didn't have my camera and haven't seen that one since. They were huge compared to the ones that I ususally see. I have some small black and white woodpeckers who make more of a screetching noise. Those smaller ones are around here all the time.
My neighbor was cutting the under brush of his wooded lot that's next to my property. I begged him not to cut down the dead trees in there because of these huge woodpeckers.
I hope your neighbor was receptive to your pleas. DH is always talking about cutting down the snags on the edges of our woods until the woodpeckers' reminders that that's their domain. BTW, that little woodpecker is a downy. We've had them the whole 7 years we've lived out here in the mountains, but this is the first year I realized they make that little squeking noise. Talk about clueless.
How do you know it's a downy and not a hairy?
Those pileated woodpeckers are a sight to see, aren't they Cordele? I had one in the woods next to my house and then in my backyard... he hung out all day, pecking away. I went outside and heard what I knew COULD NOT be coming from a downey woodpecker and then saw him. WOW!
Wish he'd come back!
Stelco: Downey and hairy woodpeckers look similar. Downeys are the smallest — about 6 inches. Downeys have ladder-backs (alternating black and white striped feathers). The only distinguishing traits between the species is the bill size, the Downey's being 1/2 the length and also has black spots on the outer feathers of the tail.
This message was edited Jul 23, 2007 5:36 PM
Mickgene, I'm sure you're right about my little woodpecker at the feeders being Downy woodpeckers. Their voice is unmistakable. I can hear them long before I see them. I read somewhere that they are taking up the cavity holes of the larger pileated woodpeckers. Because these cavities are at a premium, I didn't want the dead trees fallen around my neighborhood. Wildlife is too precious.
Stelco, I'm almost positive the little woodys are downys after looking up the Hairys. I'm glad you mentioned Hairys. I didn't know there was such a woodpecker. From the site to compare the two, both are very common in my area. I didn't know that! The downy's beek is shorter than the Hairy.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/woodpeckerIDtable.htm
I know what you mean, Judy! They are a rare site around here and the sound is so....l
different from other backyard birds.
Deborah
Deborah... not a day goes by driving around Gwinnett County that I don't see a construction site... full of trees one day and level ground the next, and think... where are all those birds going to go? I know it's supposed to be "progress" and all that jazz, but they leave their nests in search of food and come home and their tree is gone. Kind of sad. No, take that back... really sad. I'd imagine we could do with a few less nail salons, dollar stores, et al. I wouldn't want to do without the birds.
You hit the nail on the head, Judy. I know you have construction worst than I do up around your area too.
DOT is Widening I-75 at the county line all the way through Crisp causing a lot of distrubance to wild life around my home. I can just see the tops of cars and trucks going by on I-75 from my sunroom. We're that close to the mega highway. With the construction going on, I'm seeing more and more fox and now pileated woodpeckers coming my way. It's amazing just how much a seemingly small strip of land being cut down can cause havic with the wild life.
Deborah
That's why folks like us have to take our yards and turn them into little havens for the critters. I leave my dead trees up for the woodpeckers too. We have to pick up limbs after every good rainstorm but thats O.K. We get payback when we sit on our front porch and watch all of "our" birds, squirrels, deer, foxes, rabbits, etc. We bought 11 1/2 acres and left the front 5 wooded. It's amazing how many different critters call it home. We plant a food plot for the deer, put corn out for the crows and a variety of seed for all our other birds. We've been so excited to find we have quite a flock of European ring neck doves that come to the sunflower seed we put out on the ground (along with all kinds of other ground feeders!). It's really amazing how they all find these little havens too.
So true!, Naturelover. I want my backyard to be a haven too! I wish more people would too.
I'm trying my darnest to recover what used to be prime wild life real estate. I have a small pond on my property and I'm planting as many native plants around it as I can find. When we built here 28 years ago, my property and the whole neighborhood was farming land with my pond serving as a drainage "ditch" for the entire neighborhood. Not many trees were here at the time but we are still surrounded by wooded areas with I-75 being a horse and cow pasture between us. My neighbors have the formal plantings and manicured lawns, while I'm a little on the wild side with cottage and butterfly gardens, Canadian geese (resident yr round here now), waterfowl, rabbits and my new passion....butterflies.
Deborah
Well we're kindred spirits Deborah! No manicured lawn here. I also am getting butterfly and hummingbird gardens established. I was pretty excited to have two Zebra butterflies show up this year. I have hummer feeders on my front porch and right now with flowers being scarce after that drought, I have at least 20 at a time out there fighting for a landing spot. Hubby and I just love watching them. He keeps trying to count them, lol. I think there are getting to be more and more of us who are trying to go "back to nature." I think it's the fair thing to do. After all, we came in and destroyed their homes to build our own. All our friends say our critters probably have much better "pickins" now than they had before we built our house here. I always tell them, "I sure hope so!" I also plant lots of things for the bees. I'd hate to think what would become of my fruit orchard and veggie garden without them!
Marleine
If you love the butterflies, consider planting some of the species Eupatorium. In my garden, I end up with a cloud of butterflies overhead as I work in the areas where they're planted. It's a sensation I have yet to adequately capture in a picture, but it is arresting and will keep you smiling!
Marleine, I'd turn cartwheels to have "one" Zebra ST come visit my gardens! I just planted several host trees and I'm trying to grow some more host plants by seed. I've seen Tiger STs but my host plants for them aren't big enough. They must have found a host plant in the nearby woods. I've got plenty of Eastern Black ST that I'm raising (50+ cats in a cage). Haven't released any yet. Very inexperienced at BFing but I'm reading all I can. Talk about bees, I've never seen this many as I have this year. 'Course this is really my first good year at having blooms in my yard.
Oh, Mickgene, are you talking about West Texas Mist Flower, E. greggii? I've got that one! I've divided it up for plantings in several places around my gardens. It does seem to be a good draw for BFs.
The Eupatorium I'm referring to is E. fistulosum http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1430/
In years with good rainfall they tower over my head at about 8' tall. I've seen stands that were a good deal taller and at least 6' across. But mine have never achieved that, much to my dismay. But the large flower heads really attract the butterflies. One of my clumps is near the Buddleia, so it's a double whammy for photo ops.
I've never heard of this one! I'll have to put this one on my want list. Thank you for the link to plantfiles too! Wow, plantfiles has an audio upgrade for pronouncation of the genus. That's too cool!
Speaking of your Buddleia, have you seen the fountain butterfly bush, Buddleia alternifolia?
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2687/
You can train these Buddleia species into beautiful trees
http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/46buddlejastandard.php
Nice plant. The comments in the PF also mentions training as a standard. I wonder how the standard survives zone-wise.
mickgene,
I had a Eupatorium--the dwarf variety of Joe Pye weed. This was it's first year to bloom (it was newly planted summer of 06). I was so excited and planned to let it self seed but my golden retriever nailed it on her way by (broke it off clean right at the roots) and it's almost gone without the flowers getting to go to seed :-( I'm so upset. Will have to save my pennies to buy another (it was pretty pricey). The BFs also dearly love my Stokes aster--it stays covered up in them while it's in bloom. Cordele--we do have lots of host trees for the zebras around here. I've seen pawpaws growing wild in the woods so haven't bothered to plant any in my yard. Must have some close around my house. When I get it developed I will post a picture I got of two during the mating process (if I can figure out how to post a picture). They are so beautiful.
So sorry, NatureLover. I have a lab mix that trounces everything, so I know how that goes. My little dog doesn't hurt a thing, as a rule. When we got the big dog, I had to start putting up fencing everywhere. It doesn't make for the most natural looking garden (which I strive for) but at least things get a chance to grow. :)
The goldfinches also love the Joe Pye seedheads. It's a truly lovely wildlife attractor.
Parsley and fennel are the plants I always see swallowtail cats on. Sadly, the spring weather didn't co-operate this year and I didn't end up with much of either. And, so far, I have not had the mobs of swallowtails (all kinds) I usually have.
I haven't seen nearly as many butterflies as I usually do either. I've heard several others complain about the same problem. Nature seems to ebb and flow so maybe it's their turn to be in a down cycle. And then there's all those people with sterile yards who spray lots of chemicals without realizing they are killing butterflies too. Amazing how many folks don't even realize butterflies are insects too. I really miss having lots of them around. We'll just all have to get that much more pleasure from the ones we do get to see.