Uh Ah a Ah Uh...
Knock Knock…Who’s there?..Woody…Woody who? Woody Woodpecker..Uh Ah a Uh Ah..Uh Ah a Ah Uh…With that boisterous call, this famous woodpecker, created in 1940, was launched onto the world's TV stage by none other than the late Walter Lantz. He still remains one of my favorite cartoon characters. Who cannot love Woody? When the Editor and I built our home we sat on our front patio and watched two large Pileated Woodpeckers land and scurry round and round one of the large hickory trees in the front yard. We then just had to get a Piliated Woodpecker print framed from our favorite bird artist, Art LaMay of Palm Coast Florida. And so a special appreciation has developed in our home for this boisterous bird from that day forth. We saw the same pair again on our first Christmas morning.
When my friend Jack Rogers told me about a Piliated Woodpecker nest with babies not too far from here I just had to go photograph them. Per the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology “The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood.” No wonder they liked our property..we have lots of carpenter ants around here.
“Pileated Woodpeckers are mostly black with white stripes on the face and neck and a flaming-red crest. Males have a red stripe on the cheek. In flight, the bird reveals extensive white underwings and small white crescents on the upper side, at the bases of the primaries. Pileated Woodpeckers drill distinctive rectangular-shaped holes in rotten wood to get at carpenter ants and other insects. They are loud birds with whinnying calls. They also drum on dead trees in a deep, slow, rolling pattern, and even the heavy chopping sound of foraging carries well. Their flight undulates like other woodpeckers, which helps separate them from a crow’s straight flight path. “ If you are on facebook see this video of a Pileated excavating a large tree trunk. https://www.facebook.com/haberinbizdencom/videos/549979268493136/
I visited the nest twice, about a week apart. On the first visit I saw two small pair of beaks peek out for a little when the parents came to feed. This past weekend, however, they were poking their lil red heads way out and calling for Mom and Dad. As of this reading I am told both lil pecker heads have fledged and left the nest. Click on photos below for full screen views. Hope you are blessed outta your socks..Harry
Guess who…me..Woody Woodpecker! Source: Bing photo gallery
Male Pileated Woodpecker (note red stripe under the beak) at the nest.
The male enters the nest, then pokes his head out after a few minutes..checks to see af it is all clear..
Better check out those dang photographers over there...
Hey you! Mr Doohickey…can't a woodpecker have some privacy? Want me to peck a hole in your camera?
About 30 minutes later Mom arrives with more food..I see a lil peckerhead sticking up..no two of them are in there..
Mom then enters the nest to clean up some woodpecker pooh..then takes it away from the nest..she keeps a clean home..
Then she rockets off in search of more food for the lil pecker heads..
A week later I return to see two little Woodpeckers sticking out of the nest calling for Mom and Dad to bring more food..It later appears both are males.
Be quiet..I hear Mom...
Woody Jr. grabs the first bite..and the second..and the third...
How come he got all the bugs? I'm telling Dad..
Dad…Woody Jr got all the bugs…I want some too!
No problem son…I will get you some more..
Thanks Dad…Love you! Uh Ah a Ah Uh..Uh Ah a Ah Uh..! (best viewed full frame, click on photo)
And a Memorial Day Salute to all past, present and future Veterans. And may God Bless America!