Aug 14-12

Past-E-Mail: Cam Notes - 2012: August: Aug 14-12
Pileated at work    ...scroll down to share comments
Photos by Frederick W. Koski
Pecking hole    ...scroll down to share comments
Photos by Frederick W. Koski


By
Mary Drew at Pasty Central (Mdrew) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 08:05 am:

When Frederick W. Koski is out and about with his camera, you just know you're going to see something up close and personal, that you normally can't get near. Today's photos are prime examples of that, with a good look at a Pileated Woodpecker at work on a tree. He's looking for a dinner consisting of carpenter ants, which is their main source of nourishment, along with other insects, wild fruits and nuts to round out their diet. The holes the Pileated makes when looking for ants or insects, often become nesting holes for a number of other critters, including swifts, owls, ducks, bats and pine martens. So not only do these large woodpeckers decrease the insect population, but they help provide lodging to their fellow creatures of the U.P.


By Deb S. (Usedtobeayooper) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 08:06 am:

Love woodpeckers, except when they do too much damage to the trees! They sure are pretty and fun to watch!


By Janie T. (Bobbysgirl) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 08:36 am:

Cool pictures!


By Alex "UP-Goldwinger" (Alex) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 08:41 am:

Radical looking bird.


By Shirley Waggoner (Shirlohio) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 08:56 am:

Wonder if woodpeckers ever have headaches? The pileated is a beautiful bird. Have seen some several times but at a distance.


By Donna (Donna) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 09:03 am:

And are they noisy....I've got a few that come into the feeders in the winter, and they are hanging around in the tree line in the summer, and they let you know when they are around. There are a few crows there as well, and when it's snack time.....it gets REAL noisy! I throw them old bread and chips and stuff...they love it all, esp cheetos!


By kay Moore (Mskatie) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 09:37 am:

I wonder if that's this bird's tongue showing as it sucks the insects out os the tree? Neat shot!


By eugenia r. thompson (Ert) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 02:33 pm:

Yes, Kay, that is its tongue.

On another note, I just saw a float plane on the MTU
Bridge webcam! Unfortunately it took off out of
range of the camera.


By jbuck (Jbuck) on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 05:46 pm:

It's amazing to see a tree almost totally dismantled
by one of these woodpeckers! Eating carpenter ants
can only be a good thing ~ they are sneaky
destructive ~ at least Woody let's you know what
he's up to. Thanks for the great pictures!


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