Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Pileated Woodpecker - Father and chicks

Pileated Woodpecker chicks and parent,  

South Burlington, VT,

June 2016

I was photographing a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly settling occasionally on flowers in our backyard.
The butterfly flew to a large flowering bush at the edge of a wooded embankment so I followed it there.
All through this time I was hearing what I had thought was chipmunk chirping. While watching a most obliging butterfly for about ten minutes, I kept looking up into the trees for the owner making so many chirping noises. Over the previous week or so I had also heard the cry of a Pileated Woodpecker much more frequently than usual; only there was no drilling into a tree sound. Now as I peered up finally spotting the source of the chirping, I put it all together. The sounds were coming from the vicinity of one of two large holes on a stag,
one over the other. Out of the lower hole was the first one, 

then two Pileated Woodpecker nestlings. Not long after, one of the parents began crying out, moving cautiously closer and closer and finally arriving at the nest. The adult shortly thereafter fed the eager nestlings.    















                                   Mama, where are you?



                                              First I looked down,



                                                                          then I looked up.
                                   


                                          I even looked up into the second floor.


                         
                                     
           


                 Mama, where are you? We are HUNGRY. 



                                     OH, and did we mention that we are ADORABLE too. 




                                                       Finally, Dad arrives with lunch. 
                                         (On Father's Day no less. )









The following images were taken on 6/23.







Bernie publishes short stories and photos reflecting Vermont's values of Green and Clean and Community. He urges us all to, pick up litter in order to protect our water, wildlife, and human health. 
Bernie resides in SB, Vermont

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