We live in Lake Ridge in a beautiful neighborhood in which some of the homes, including ours, back to an area of woods. Over the years, we’ve encountered many wildlife friends – from a safe distance! Currently, we and our neighbors have been frequent hosts of a trio to rambunctious foxes that scamper, frolic, and gambol through our yards early in the morning. It’s like having a litter of fun-loving puppies careening about property.
In addition to the foxes, as well as deer, rabbits, turtles and more, there are many beautiful birds in these woods that visit our bird feeders. The most striking is the pileated woodpecker who visits weekly. She is a large bird, probably 12-14 inches long from her pointy red topknot to the tip of her ebony tail feathers. She has two black strips across her face (on the male, the lower stripe is red).
Although we’ve lived here for more than 30 years, we’ve been visited by “Pilly” only in the last 2-3 years (they can live up to 12 years). Pileated woodpeckers are common and numerous (i.e., not endangered) and have extensive territory throughout the eastern and Pacific coastal U.S. and Canada. Pileated Woodpeckers are known to visit backyard bird feeders, especially for suet.
Other woodpeckers are more frequent visitors to our suet feeders, including Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers and Hairy Woodpeckers.
Comments