Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos

Hay Dude · Feb 17, 2024

MossRoad said:
Take two Tylenol and turn up the volume...

Or a 12 gauge with #6 birdshot

milkman636 · Feb 17, 2024

Hay Dude said:
Or a 12 gauge with #6 birdshot

I considered taking this approach on Friday morning. We have a very large silver maple in our yard. It has great character and has to be one of the oldest around. My wife has been lining kids up in front of that tree for pictures since we moved here 18 years ago. And we have a swing on one of its branches.

It was crisp and still when I went out to the barn at daybreak, and I heard the distinct sound of one of these red-headed devils getting breakfast in that tree. I walked around the tree and confirmed I was hearing things accurately.

I briefly contemplated permanently ending his breakfast, but I know that would only help me feel better for a moment and not really help the tree. Besides my apple trees, It’s one of two trees in my yard that I do not want to lose.

ArlyA · Feb 17, 2024

milkman636 said:
I considered taking this approach on Friday morning. We have a very large silver maple in our yard. It has great character and has to be one of the oldest around. My wife has been lining kids up in front of that tree for pictures since we moved here 18 years ago. And we have a swing on one of its branches.

It was crisp and still when I went out to the barn at daybreak, and I heard the distinct sound of one of these red-headed devils getting breakfast in that tree. I walked around the tree and confirmed I was hearing things accurately.

I briefly contemplated permanently ending his breakfast, but I know that would only help me feel better for a moment and not really help the tree. Besides my apple trees, It’s one of two trees in my yard that I do not want to lose.

If birds are in your tree or siding pecking out worms, its already infested. The birds is a symptom of that, the infestation was not caused by the woodpeckers.

milkman636 · Feb 17, 2024

ArlyA said:
If birds are in your tree or siding pecking out worms, its are already infested. Its a symptom of that, nothing caused by the woodpeckers.

The persistent pecking really did get under my skin after a while and it took restraint, which I was able to muster because I know he wasn't pulling up to eat at a buffet with no food.

It is really sad that it is the tree my wife uses for pictures, my kids swing on, and I use for shade in the summer while working on things. Overall it's the most enjoyed tree we have. It'll take over 100 years to replace this one when it goes, and I was hoping it had another 40 years in it.

ArlyA · Mar 4, 2024

Someone here took this in there yard.

ArlyA · Mar 4, 2024

In the woods yesterday and took these.

milkman636 · Mar 4, 2024

ArlyA said:
In the woods yesterday and took these.

It’s amazing what they can do. I’m feeling fortunate for now that my visitor was only here a couple of mornings and seems to have moved on to better feeding. I can still hear him or one of his buddies working back in the neighboring woods to the south of us while the morning suns coming up. But, I haven’t seen or heard him close in last several days of being outside in this nice weather. It’s the mosquitos that are troublesome now, not the usual March problem to have here in lower Michigan.