Darby O'Gill fans will understand I almost captured the king of the leprechauns (woodpecker)

[Omaha Steve]

A male Pileated Woodpecker eating suet this morning. The Pileateds are the largest species of woodpecker in North America extant. We lost the Ivory Billed to man's stupidity: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ivory-billed_Woodpecker/id

Pileateds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id




This is a female. There is no red stripe on her face. She is eating a nuts and woodpecker mix. I was just a few feet away in our laundry room..




I took this one also through the laundry room window. That is why there is a dark spot at the bottom of the photo. On the left is a male Downy Woodpecker. They are not shy like the Pileateds. All about Downys: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id



I'm about 40% Irish. A tip o me hat to Darby, King Brian, and the little people.

OS

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. You are a lucky man, steve.

[blm]

2. Wow - Even with the mesh that first shot is crystal clear.

What a beauty.

[Omaha Steve]

7. It's not really a mesh, it is like a water mark

We caught somebody selling our photos we had been sharing for free. So on the really good pix Marta puts our ownership stamp in discreetly.

The telephoto lense really helped on that shot.

OS

[irisblue]

3. I loved that movie!

Your photos are great OS.

[lostnfound]

4. So jealous...! It's a blessed day!

[drmeow]

5. NICE!

Unusual bird (or animal - although those are much more rare in an urban environment) sitings are one of my favorite events.

[longship]

6. Just watch out for the banshee, OS!

I remember that flick. Sean Connery, without a toupee.



BTW, we have pileateds here, too, in the Manistee National Forest, but I haven't seen one in years. My feeders are all shot and I just could not afford all the seed and cracked corn and suet. Woodpeckers love suet!

I miss the chickadees, which will eagerly eat out of your hand.

[Omaha Steve]

8. Hummingbirds will eat out of your hand too

[Omaha Steve]

9. A few asked in private why we don't close the bottom of the woodpecker cages

It keeps the starlings (and a few others) off the woodpecker feeders. When we close the bottom they stand there and eat. Leave them open and they don't even show up because they know.

OS