Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Woodpeckers Have Returned...It Must Be Fall!

I haven't seen a Pileated Woodpecker for about a year!
I was thrilled to see this one in my backyard yesterday!


It flew back and forth between my neighbors yard and mine. There was some dead wood on the other side of the fence...I think it found some bugs!



But it also liked my trees and spent time in several of them. 


When I took these photos of this Hairy Woodpecker, I was inside looking out...and all I had at hand was my macro lens attached to the camera. It worked well enough but it would have been better to have the zoom. 


I was just happy to capture it at all. I haven't seen a large Hairy Woodpecker since last year, either. They are pretty big. They look like the smaller, Downy Woodpeckers, but are much larger.




This is probably the same one, up in a tree. Hunting for bugs, just as the Pileated Woodpecker was doing.



Here is another one, but it's a female, because there is no red on it's head.


The White-Breasted Nuthatches are back, too. This one kept coming to the empty feeder I'd left up all summer. So I finally put some hulled sunflower seed in and he was a happy camper! I'd left the feeder empty all summer because it attracts squirrels and I was trying to discourage them from digging up my garden.


Nuthatches aren't woodpeckers, but I enjoy seeing them, too. Here's what they look like from a 'normal' perspective...although 'normal' for them is sideways, crawling up and down trees. They would be just as happy eating bugs from the trees but they knew that feeder was there and they were just itching to get a seed...so I gave in and filled it.


 You know what that means, don't you? The squirrels will start having a heyday in my gardens...but that's okay...it's autumn, and there are no more tender plants popping up. They can't really hurt anything. I'm looking forward to seeing this season in all it's glory as the summer plants go to seed and the flowers wind down. It's time. It can't be stopped. So I might as well just embrace it!

How about you? Are you able to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new? The autumn season does offer beauty. Just look for it, it's there!

What gifts have you discovered today? Until next time,

Words and photos ©Thanks for today.™, by Jan Huston Doble @ http://www.thanksfor2day.blogspot.com/
Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without express permission of the author.

14 comments:

  1. What a treat to see the Pileated Woodpecker! We get Northern Flickers here, as well as the Downy ones, and plenty of nuthatches too.

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    Replies
    1. Yes it's such a treat, Alison!! It's a real treat for me to have a Northern Flicker. I get them, just haven't seen one this summer. Hopefully they'll stop by this winter!! Birds are the flowers that I love to watch year round, but especially in fall and winter when things are dying back and getting bleak.

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  2. I'm glad mine isn't the only garden where the woodpeckers seem to disappear for long periods. We haven't even seen a downy now for several months. We've never had a pilleated, but we have had northern flickers hanging around - but not since early spring!

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    Replies
    1. Hope you'll see some soon, Jason! The Downy's have been around all summer...it's mostly the Pileated's and Hairy's who seem to have gone off into the deeper woods. But now they're back, so I hope I can keep them visiting by continuing to plant native berrying shrubs, and adding some suet in the feeders for supplements.

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  3. Fabulous captures of the woodpeckers! I've never seen a hairy woodpecker in our garden but do have plenty of the downy. It has been years since I have seen a pileated. So cool that one found your garden! Enjoy the treasures of fall.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Karin! I see far more Downy's than Hairy's or Pileateds...they tend to shy away from typical yards, however, as I've been planting more natives and shrubs they like, I hope to keep bringing them to my yard more and more.

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  4. I haven't seen the pileated ones in a while so it's time to buy some suet. I see the little Downie's much more often. Great shots!

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    Replies
    1. I hope you'll see some soon, Tammy!

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  5. I find it interesting to find out what are signs of autumn in different locales. We've had all of these birds with us most of the summer--with the exception of the pileated woodpeckers. Although I did see a couple of them up north earlier in the summer. For us, the disappearance of birds is more a sign of autumn. :( We still have hummingbirds, though, but their days are numbered here in the north. I will miss them! Happy autumn!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Beth, I know our woodpeckers have been 'around' all summer, just not in my yard! I think they went into the 'deeper woods' during the summer. In particular, the Pileated and Hairy. I have seen Downy's and all the typical birds through the summer, but I think they like my yard better in the fall!! As the weather cools, they come back further into suburbia, looking for whatever they can find. Soon, I'll put out my suet...that'll keep 'em here all winter. Also, as I've added lots more berrying shrubs they will hang out more and more without suet, but I just like to put it out as a supplement. I'm sorry yours seem to get more 'numbered' in the fall and winter! I so enjoy having them, especially in winter when there are no other colorful things to look at out my window!

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  6. Jan how exciting to see all these especially the pileated. I didn't see one this year...but our downy woodpeckers are back too.

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    Replies
    1. Hopefully you'll see a Pileated soon, Donna! I always look forward to them ;)

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  7. I have been fortunate to see two pairs of Pileateds in the past few weeks. They are magnificent, almost prehistoric, birds.

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  8. Great photos! Amazing birds. I love to watch them.

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Thanks so much for visiting and taking the time to comment! Please enjoy your TODAY and all of the gifts in YOUR garden of life!

Jan

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