re: Pileated Woodpecker Sighting

I have a pair that nest in my telephone pole right by my dock. They hang out of it at night and eat the bugs that come to the street light.

They like thick woods and tend not to be in neighborhoods. In 10 years I only had one in my back yard in Baton Rouge. In middle Georgia I lived in the woods and saw them all the time. They get around, I was surprised to see one outside Montreal in the winter, and a few in the pacific northwest. It's a lot easier to hear one than see one, their call carries a LONG way. Great bird.

See some great big ones on the feeder/peanut butter cakes in my backyard.

Here's a little Downy Woodpecker that was on the feeder out front today. They're not much larger than a Chickadee.

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Got a family of em nesting in a power-pole across the street from my house. Their nesting hole is deceptively small-looking.

They like to scratch around the forest floor looking for bugs. All along the rivers and bayous in LA.

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The only other time I saw one was in Boyce near Alexandria twenty five years ago. How often do you guys see them? Any stories?

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South Lake Charles, around Prien Lake - Pine Trees. We used to see them fairly regularly when I lived there.

I live downtown now, none here. Only a few Red Bellied Woodpeckers and Hairy Woodpecker's that I have seen. I have also seen an occasional Flicker during Migration here. Those are pretty cool too.

Red-Headed were in the same area as Pileated when I lived there 10 years ago. No Red-Heads downtown though.

Been having a couple hang in an old rotten top tree. They sure can raise hell when the cat goes outside.

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You sure about that? Downy would be much more likely.

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I know where you are coming from. I have gone back and forth depending on the bird and the angle I see them. The bill seems to be thicker so I have gone with the Hairy. I could be wrong. There is a definite red spot on the back of the head.

I just read up on them again and I will need to focus on the White Tail Feathers. Spotted for Downy and plain white for Hairy.

Nice pictures!

I don't ever see them at my house in Central (BR). But at my parents house in the same area, but closer to the Comite River you can see them ever single day.