South Burlington birds: Pileated Woodpecker photos

Pileated Woodpecker South Burlington, VT 

Pileated Woodpecker, South Burlington, VT,

March 2015

                                                      Welcome to the SB Vermont Backyard Birding, Issue # 16, Pileated Woodpecker.

The Pileated Woodpecker in our South Burlington, Vermont backyard are about 18" long, mostly black except, white stripes on face and neck, and a flaming red crest. They also have bright white under-wings seen in flight. Their loud vocal calls sound like someone laughing.

 This image is of a male Pileated. Note the male's red crest goes all the way down to the bill whereas on the female it stops half way. Also, see the red mustache down the base of the bill (the female lacks this stripe-mustache). 

Pileated Woodpecker, South Burlington, VT,

April 28 & May 4,  2015

 

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Happy Birding

To view any of the other 14 bird postings in my SB Backyard birds series, click on the Table of Contents tab on the top of this blog, next, page down to All things Vermont, Birds... then click on the bird posting of your choice. 

Click on Pileated Woodpecker  for more info. from Bird Watchers Digest Magazine.

Click here to see side by side images of male and female Pileated Woodpeckers for comparison. 

Click on Woodpeckers of the Puget Sound Area for extensive various woodpecker species information and photos.

Click on Backyard Wildlife Habitat in Vermont, for information on feeding and attracting backyard birds in Vermont. 

Click on Audubon Society for Vermont birding information. 

Click on Champlain Valley's Common Birds in Decline for an Audubon report. 

Click on Champlain Valley Bird Initiative for an Audubon list of key birds, top threats, key strategies, successes, and how you can help. 

Bernie publishes short stories and photos reflecting Vermont 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. 
#caring, #community, #contribution 

South Burlington birds: Beautiful Nature (litter) Free

Originally published in Watching Backyard Birds magazine, April 2015. 

Litter with a story to tell is a blog of short stories, and photos reflecting Vermont values of Green & Clean & Community. My postings range from local folklore to personal experiences-stories that capture both heart and mind. Photos of birds, flowers, and fall foliage exemplify a shared earth worth keeping clean of littered trash.

Rightfully we should urge legislatures and businesses to protect our land and water from such calamities as oil spills. However closer to home and within our own abilities (to clean up), is a problem no less detrimental to birds and other wildlife-litter. I believe, if we do not observe and pick up litter and dispose of it properly-we are all culpable.

One of my strategies is to highlight the beauty of litter free nature. Participating in neighborhood Green Up Day and shoreline clean up events helps me feel instant gratification by removing debris from our picturesque natural world.

Observation is one of the keys to capturing the most from bird watching. I relish the ease at which I can watch backyard birds from our kitchen window. The antics, behavior, and creativity of songbirds around feeders may not be as diverse as in woodlands, fields and waterways. However, the show and tell continues almost none stop, coffee or hot chocolate are always at hand, and even the simplest point and shoot camera can capture the moment.

Feeding black-oil sunflower seeds, white proso-millet, and homemade suet as a mainstay, I add peanuts and not just for their nutritional value. The peanut feeder I use requires birds to reach into a small hole to pull out a peanut. Last year I witnessed a nuthatch pull out a peanut, drop it, and then fly down and catch it before it hit the ground- Astonishing! 

The glass front and back creates the “eye candy” effect.

 Sometimes a newbie will tap on the glass, perhaps expecting a peanut to roll out of the dispenser.

Plantings of local varieties is another key to bringing birds into our backyard attracted by the summer flowers, winter seeds, as well as resting and nesting bird habitat. See my backyard flower postings to view the many flowers, trees, bird boxes, and even (Jewel and other) weeds that draw birds to our backyard-even some such as the shy Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Occasionally in a flash arrival and as quick a departure, a large flock of Waxwings devours our overwintering pea size crabapples. It looks like a party-the activity is intense leaving behind red stained snow-like goblets of spilled red wine. 

Irruptive species such as redpolls, which visited us in great numbers in the winter of 2013, are welcomed visitors. Occasionally we are not the only ones watching the songbirds at our feeders. Hawks and owls offer a majestic full screen bird watching experience when they are but a few yards from your window seat. Throughout March and April of 2013, a Hermit Thrush gave me a reason to bird watch even on dreary days as I recorded with photos each of the daily thrush mealtime visits.

Nature is beautiful and free for viewing if we take the time to stop, look, and listen. Please help keep your community green and clean-litter free.

View

each of the series of 15 bird species I photographed in my South Burlington, VT backyard, click here and page down to Backyard Birding, then select a bird posting. (Hundreds of bird photos)

Bernie publishes short stories and photos reflecting Vermont 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 South Burlington, Vermont.  

Blue Jay. Backyard birding series, Issue #1.
Black-capped Chicadees. Backyard birding series Issue #2.
Nuthatch. Backyard birding series, Issue #3.
Titmouse. Backyard birding series, Issue #4.
American Tree Sparrow. Backyard birding series, Issue #5.
White-throated Sparrow. Backyard birding series, Issue #6.
American Goldfinch.  Backyard birding series, Issue #7.

Dark-eyed Junco.  Backyard birding series, Issue #8.

Snow-birds. Backyard birding series, Issue #9.
Cardinal. Backyard birding series, Issue #10.
Downy & Hairy Woodpecker. Backyard Birding Issue Issue #11.
Carolina Wren. Backyard Birding Issue Issue #12.
House Finch.  Backyard Birding Issue Issue #13.

Mourning Dove.  Backyard Birding Issue Issue #14.
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Backyard Birding Issue Issue #15.

South Burlington birds: Red-bellied Woodpecker photos

Welcome to the SB Vermont Backyard Birding, Issue # 15, Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Red-bellied Woodpecker photos, South Burlington, VT

The Red-bellied Woodpecker in our South Burlington, Vermont backyard have a tan belly and the side of their head is tan. The nape , top of the head to the forehead and neck are orange-red (to my eye). Their wings, tail, and back are black with what I call white checkering or barring.

The female is orange-red on the nape only, not on the top of the head  or forehead.

 I can fly all day without leaving our kitchen window, thanks to visiting birds. ~Bernie

Happy Birding

Photos taken with Cannon PS S3 IS

To view any of the other 14 bird postings in my SB Backyard birds series, click on the Table of Contents tab on the top of this blog, next, page down to All things Vermont, Birds... then click on the bird posting of your choice. 

Click on Red-bellied Woodpecker  for more info. from Bird Watchers Digest Magazine.

Click on Woodpeckers of the Puget Sound Area for extensive various woodpecker species information and photos.

Click on Backyard Wildlife Habitat in Vermont, for information on feeding and attracting backyard birds in Vermont. 

Click on Audubon Society for Vermont birding information. 

Click on Champlain Valley's Common Birds in Decline for an Audubon report. 

Click on Champlain Valley Bird Initiative for an Audubon list of key birds, top threats, key strategies, successes, and how you can help. 

Bernie publishes essays and photos reflecting Vermont values of Green and Clean and Community. He urges us all to pick up litter and maintain a litter free environment through caring, community, and contribution in order to protect our water, wildlife, and human health. 

Bernie resides in SB, Vermont. 

                      Pull up a chair I will be right with you.