February’s bird walk was
quite a challenge with deep snow covering the golf course. Breaking trail with snowshoes required a lot
of work. After one hole, we were warmed up to coat unzipping level. But the day was perfect for birding – no wind and bright grey sky
which allows one to see finer detail at a distance. First bird of the day was the pileated
woodpecker, discovered by hearing its loud pecking sound. Nearly the size of a crow, this is the
largest woodpecker in our area. They
have a long neck, a conspicuous triangular crest (entirely red in males), and a
long chisel-like bill. They are famous
for creating rectangular shaped holes that are be so broad and deep, they can
cause a small tree to break in half. Clues
to their work are large chips of wood on the ground. Their favorite food is carpenter ants but
they are willing to consume numerous other woodboring insects, plus wild fruits
and berries. They have long, barbed tongues
which they use to extract their prey from deep within the wood. Like today, one generally hears them first;
hammering loudly and then you may catch their undulating flight pattern with
strong rapid wing strokes alternating with brief periods of wings folded at their
sides. They are very important to the
forest ecosystem. As primary nest
builders, their numerous excavations provide living quarters or shelter for
many other cavity loving animals, like wood ducks, bluebirds, mice & flying
squirrels. We also managed to spot two
small buteos – soaring hawks. They may
have been red-shouldereds but red-tails nest in that area too. The distance made positive identification impossible
which is a frustrating part of birding. So
without a doubt, the bird of the day was the magnificent pileated woodpecker. It was worth all the energy to see it. Friday, February 20, 2015
Noah's Birding Log - Feb 2015
February’s bird walk was
quite a challenge with deep snow covering the golf course. Breaking trail with snowshoes required a lot
of work. After one hole, we were warmed up to coat unzipping level. But the day was perfect for birding – no wind and bright grey sky
which allows one to see finer detail at a distance. First bird of the day was the pileated
woodpecker, discovered by hearing its loud pecking sound. Nearly the size of a crow, this is the
largest woodpecker in our area. They
have a long neck, a conspicuous triangular crest (entirely red in males), and a
long chisel-like bill. They are famous
for creating rectangular shaped holes that are be so broad and deep, they can
cause a small tree to break in half. Clues
to their work are large chips of wood on the ground. Their favorite food is carpenter ants but
they are willing to consume numerous other woodboring insects, plus wild fruits
and berries. They have long, barbed tongues
which they use to extract their prey from deep within the wood. Like today, one generally hears them first;
hammering loudly and then you may catch their undulating flight pattern with
strong rapid wing strokes alternating with brief periods of wings folded at their
sides. They are very important to the
forest ecosystem. As primary nest
builders, their numerous excavations provide living quarters or shelter for
many other cavity loving animals, like wood ducks, bluebirds, mice & flying
squirrels. We also managed to spot two
small buteos – soaring hawks. They may
have been red-shouldereds but red-tails nest in that area too. The distance made positive identification impossible
which is a frustrating part of birding. So
without a doubt, the bird of the day was the magnificent pileated woodpecker. It was worth all the energy to see it. 
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