Thanksgiving Visitors

Grandma and Grandpa were here all week, but they are not the visitors to whom I am refering.  (In fact, in the whirl of cooking and eating and all of us coming down with a cold, I didn't take a single picture of our actual Thanksgiving.  And what's more, Katydid didn't take many pictures either.  Thanksgiving has always been our least documented holiday, and it looks as if the tradition remains unbroken.)

No, we actually had some interesting visitors of the avian variety this Thanksgiving.

 

There were actually three pileated woodpeckers in this tree.  Andy had gone outside to let the chickens out Wednesday morning, but ran back in (I mean that literally) as soon as he went out.  "Look out the window, look out the window!" he shouted as soon as he was in.  I thought maybe a coyote or a fox or a bear had gotten into the chicken coop.  Three pileated woodpeckers in one of the spruce trees was much more pleasant.  I took this picture through the window, but all of our window shots were kind of filmy.  The two woodpeckers you see here were "dancing" around the tree, making a lot of noise.  It was only later that we realized there were actually three woodpeckers.  The other one was way up in the tree.  Were they fighting over territory?  Katydid thinks that two of them were mates.

Since I was still in my pajamas, I handed Andy the camera so he could go outside and get a better shot.  Katydid was still in her pajamas, too, but as you can see, that didn't stop her:

 

(She's actually running back to the house in this picture.  Andy says it's either proof of scientific curiousity or bad parenting.)

Here are some of the pictures that Andy and Katydid took outside:

   

 

Later in the week the Duncraft catalog arrived, which is always cause for excitement around here.  (I don't think we've ever bought anything from them, but the catalog is always hot property for a certain little girl.)  While we were browsing the bird feeders, we found this one, specially made for pileated woodpeckers.  Apparently, woodpeckers need to prop their tails against something in order to feed.  We only have the small hanging suet cages, so maybe that's why we only get the small downy and hairy woodpeckers at our feeders.  And well, Christmas is coming up...

Comments

[Jennifer]

I cannot believe how big they are - that is amazing. Thanks for taking photos and sharing with us!

[Meredith]

Oh my goodness, I never realied these birds were so big!!! Wow, what an incredible sighting! Thanks for sharing :)

[Lori]

wow! that is so exciting! :^D)

[Kathy]

Wow! We would be thrilled to see those so close. We hear them in the woods, but haven't caught a glimpse yet. We have seen a beautiful Barred owl several times, though.

[Birding]

As a Bird lover i really enjoyed this.

Rose.