I recently seem to be seeing Pileateds in suburban and urban areas. Today I was driving on Spencer road when I saw a Pileated fly on to a tree near the car wash. Recently, I have seen Pileateds from the bus in East Ithaca area, one at the junction of Honness and Pine Tree Road, one on Synder Hill Road, one on Snyder Hill and Sky Vue road. Looks like they are moving into more populated area.
A dead trunk on maple on my driveway is being excavated buy a woodpecker. There is big hole and large chunks of wood on the driveway. Don't know who is doing it. I know Red-bellied is around the yard whole lot of time. I will keep watch. A robin has built a nest in my yews, must be the same female who used to attack me in my garden last year. I was standing in the living room inside the house and male saw me and started giving alarm call. She popped out of the bush to check out the intruder or danger. In Mundy the Pileateds are nesting in a large Sycamore this year. A few days ago, I saw a male drumming on a dead trunk. When I looked at him, I found that the lower part below the lower beak was all red, I thought he was bleeding after drumming :)) So I looked at him with my binoculars that is when I realized that it was his plumage! I had never seen this character! I came back and checked the field guide to see that the red is nicely depicted in the book! After seeing the picture, I felt a little embarrassed that I had never seen this character in last 16 years! But hey that shows there is lots to learn about everyday subjects! Meena Haribal Ithaca NY http://haribal.org/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
