Sunday, November 29, 2009

Under Attack

Today we are being attacked by pileated wood peckers. They are from 12 to 15 inches from top to toe... very impressive birds.

I was sitting eating breakfast and peering out at the bird feeders outside the window, when all of a sudden the large bird began attacking the window in front of me.

He flew from the feeder to the window. Grasped the edge and looked in at me and pecked at the glass. Flew back to the feeder, back at the window. Back to the feeder, swooped twice at the window above the sink. Then to the apple tree, and at the window out in the hall.

There is at least one pair. Swoop, swoop, swoop... then at the roof... Pecking at the window, at the birdfeeder and fat container, then swooping back.

We feed several different kinds of woodpeckers: red breasted, (which do not have a red breast!) different types of downy woodpeckers, and now - pileated attackers.

It does not take much to entertain us, and this attack is fascinating.

I hope it doesn't progress to the end that a cabin on Moses Lake suffered. Wood peckers attacked and destroyed the whole side of their wooden house. Oofta. Perhaps we will be saved because we have siding which is not wooden.

Swoop, swoop!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Loretta, Please write us an e-mail so we can get your e-mail address PLEASE? Love, Elaine

Karen W said...

I love watching the birds at the feeders. AT least it is something living in the dead of winter!! Last year I had a cardinal sitting in my feeder right by my bathroom window.

Speaking of bird feeders ~ did you know they have a "Squirrel" calendar at Fleet Farm?? I am thinking of submitting photos for the next calendar!!

Karen L said...

We now have steel siding on our house...poor wood peckers had to find another place to peck away. It was very annoying to wake up to that sound when we had wood siding.
KW: would your squirrel pictures feature "living" creatures?

p.s. harvest is done...maybe now I will have time to get "it figured" again.

Anonymous said...

How in the world did you know those were pileated wood peckers? I would just run for cover and scream or cry! THey sound even worse that moose or antlered deer but at last they are recognizable. But the size!!! Fran.