32 Degrees (am) High Clouds/ Fog, Hard Frost
Sunset 4:42
There is a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that live on our property or very close. They swoop from tree to tree sounding a lot like jungle monkeys. The Seattle Audubon Society web site has a link where you can listen to their calls Bird Web - Seattle Audobon Society.
They're the second largest woodpecker in North America, about the size of a large crow with a wing span of up to 30 inches. Pileated Woodpeckers are monogamous and live in the same area year round. Both the male and female help to make a new nest ( a hollow in a tree) and help incubate and raise the babies. There can be 3 -5 eggs. The babies are ready to leave the nest after four weeks and tend to stay close to their parents for several months.
This picture was taken in the summer of 2010. Both parents and their baby were foraging for bugs in the perimeter of our garden. The baby stayed very close to mom and followed her every move. I love his fuzzy head. We see these birds often in our area of the Puget Sound, so I was surprised to learn that they are considered at-risk and that the Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering them for the endangered species list.
