Saturday, April 04, 2009

dueling woodpeckers

We were at my uncle's lake home today for an early Easter family get together. After the meal, as we were all sitting around in a post-meal stupor, the kids excitedly told me there was a huge woodpecker at the feeder. I grabbed the camera, and I was so excited to get a shot of a pileated woodpecker I didn't even notice the downy in the photo! I rounded out the day by seeing hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers. And some first-of-year great blue herons, common mergansers, and oh yes, the trumpeter swans. Great birding day!
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11 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

WOW Deb, what a birding day you had! That's an excellent picture especially to see both woodpeckers to compare sizes. Sometimes it's hard to remember just how BIG those Pileated Woodpeckers are.

R.Powers said...

THAT is really a neat shot!

jan m said...

Wow, that's called putting things in perspective!

Grizz………… said...

Now that's just a neat, neat shot! I have all sorts of trouble getting a pileated pix, and here you go and add in a downy! Ha!

Pablo said...

But did you go swimming in the lake? Don't tease us like this!

Jayne said...

Oh my!!! What a photo Deb! That is just priceless. Would you mind if I share this photo with my sister and her birding message board...with credit and a link to your blog of course. What a size comparison!

Deb said...

Lynne- I had always thought they were too big to bother with a feeder like this one, but this gal (I think) looks like she's determined to get the treats!

FC- Thanks. Right place, right time, prepared with camera, for once!

Jan M- Yes, the size comparison is amazing, but also how they resemble each other just a little.

Grizzled- If the downy hadn't been there, I don't even know if I would have shared this photo except to say "I am one step closer to taking a GOOD pileated shot." The downy just made it special.

Pablo- are you kidding? There are huge alligator-sized muskellunge in there! Didn't want to chance it...

Jayne- no problem! I'm glad you like it.

DennisP said...

Good for you. It is really exciting to see the Pileated at one's feeder.

We've had one that would come to our wooden feeder and pound on it last year. Not pecking, it was drumming (obviously a male). This year he's apparently talked his mate into coming with him to feed on the suet feeder.

I was outside working yesterday and I heard them calling in the woods. And then pretty soon they came swooping down to our feeding station. The don't fly in, they come swooping in.

My son and his girl friend were over for supper several weeks ago when a Pileated showed up. I snuck her out onto the porch and when she saw it, her reaction was "Oh, my God".

Deb said...

DennisP- They are always an "Oh my God" bird. And yes, I love their swoop!

RuthieJ said...

oh man Deb, that's so COOL! How neat that you were all able to see that bird close up!

robin andrea said...

What a cool photo opportunity, deb. It really gives the sense of their relative sizes. Great shot.