Pileated Woodpecker, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, February 2009, all photos ©
2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
woodpecker drumming
beetles hidden under bark;
dig deeper for truth
I was surprised to hear drumming in the woods behind our house last Friday afternoon. After standing in silence for a time, I spotted three pileated woodpeckers in the oaks, males checking out new territory. Though the downy and hairy woodpeckers are often seen at our feeder, I had never seen a pileated that close to our home. The last was at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary a few years ago.
There are about 180 species of woodpeckers in the world, each spending nearly their entire lives in trees. They are climbers and prop their stiff pointed tail feathers against a support while shifting leg holds. With body close to the trunk or branch and head bobbing, the bird is nimble and fast, darting sideways at such incredible speeds that predators have difficulty catching them.
It is my belief that animals and birds show up along our path to help us find our way. There are many cultures that honor the otherworldly role of animals in our lives. There are birth totems and spiritual totems, and those who appear once in a blue moon to remind us of what might be important in that moment. Birds link the Spiritual and the Earthly, the Upper and Lower worlds.
Woodpeckers with their erratic flight patterns and rhythmic drumming are one of the heartbeats of the Earth. I saw the three pileated woodpeckers as a sign in changing times — everything will be alright. According to one site about woodpeckers as spiritual guides, here are some of the characteristics and wisdom of Woodpecker:
- woodpecker flight patterns are unique; honor personal rhythmic patterns, stay grounded to obtain goals
- be open to self discovery; by pecking into bark and dead wood, hidden layers of the psyche are revealed
- woodpeckers are active birds; caution is advised to maintain balance when reviewing any situation or issue. Don’t be too focused on the mental; too much analyzing can result in procrastination.
- woodpecker finds food hidden under layers of bark and wood teaching us to dig deeply to find truth and deceptions. Woodpecker energy is associated with prophecy and the ability to see deeper than surface lies.
- even if something seems difficult to do, do not give up. Do what works, even if it is unconventional. Set your own pace, your own rhythm.
- people born under the woodpecker sign need safety and security and are often wary because of their extreme sensitivity to their surroundings; learn to move through life with perseverance and inner strength
- woodpecker folks are able to “ride the flow of life” and to receive in silence. They are gentle, sensitive and dreamy folks who tend to both absorb and reflect things around them. They are here to learn more independence and stability.
Pileated Woodpecker, Earth Drummer, Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2009, all photos © 2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
pileated (from the Online Etymology Dictionary)
1728, from L. pileatus “capped,” from pileus “felt cap without a brim,” from Gk. pilos. Applied in natural history to certain birds and sea urchins.
To learn more facts about woodpeckers, visit these sites:
- Pileated Woodpecker Central
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Geographic — Pileated Woodpecker
- Seattle Audubon Society Bird Web — Birds of Washington State
- The Search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
-posted on red Ravine, Sunday, March 1st, 2009
-related to post: haiku 2 (one-a-day), PRACTICE – Roadside Attractions — 15min, What Is Your Totem Animal?
QM, we have about 5 varieties of Woodpeckers that surround our home. The pileated are here, but we only see them every now & then. The smaller varieties, do have a habit of feeding off the the wood on our upper deck, which is not only destructive, but quite annoying, especially early in the morning. They are beautiful, though, & I admire them for that. D
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Oh how I would love to see one some day! I am much too deep into the coastal suburbs to have woodpeckers around regularly, but the occasional Acorn Woodpecker does wander down from the mountains now and then. Nothing as gran as a Pileated though!
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Lucky you, to have seen three of these creatures so close at hand. We had pileated woodpeckers up North in our forest home, and my heart lifted every time one flew by on staggered flight from tree to tree, their tocking hammer-blows adding rhythm to the silent forest. G
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diddy, it’s true that woodpeckers can be destructive and bore big holes in wood around people’s homes. I sometimes hear the downy or hairy pecking on the wooden frame of one of the south sloped windows. I can be seen tapping on the window to get them to move on to the feeders on the deck. They like the oiled black sunflower seeds.
I had a friend in Montana once who had some very persistent woodpeckers boring into her cabin. I can’t remember what she did about it now. I know she wanted to do something eco-friendly so as not to hurt the birds. Would have to research it more.
I love their feathers and it’s a real find to come across a Flicker feather with its black polka dots. I see them as a good sign for navigating rough terrain.
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goddess, I had no idea there were as many woodpecker species as there are so I bet you get quite a few in your area that we never see here in the Great White North. They are amazing birds to behold, whatever the species.
G., I felt immediately lifted at seeing the pileated woodpeckers last Friday, and 3 of them no less. I was walking into the house with my head a bit down and heard this drumming. The drumming is familiar to me from the downy and hairy woodpeckers we have around. But this was such a loud sound that I had to investigate further.
I couldn’t believe there were three of them. I was looking into the sun so it took me a while to spot them. They are HUGE though. I guess the only bigger woodpecker is the Ivory-Billed which looks kind of prehistoric. I heard that some researchers had stumbled on the Ivory-Billed somewhere in the swamps Down South I think. I’ll have to try to find that story.
It was sometime last year I heard it. I was amazed. The pileated had almost gone extinct and I think was on the endangered list for a while. Thank goodness for ecology. We wouldn’t be able to see many of these species without that movement to save habitat and endangered species.
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One thing I had wanted to look up was whether or not the pileated woodpeckers migrated. So I looked at a couple of pileated woodpecker facts sites and added the links to the body of the post.
About migration, I found that they are generally resident, but sometimes wander from their breeding areas and many move down-slope or into streamside forests or suburban areas in winter.
It made me wonder if they had wandered down from the park behind out house in search of food. They may not nest here but head back up into the more protected area. Sure would be cool if they nested in one of these dead trees though.
The pileated woodpeckers also mate for life. Something I always find amazing in animals and birds. Liz and I watched a show on eagles a few weeks ago and one eagle had lost his partner. You could tell he was lost without her. The next year, a new and younger partner moved into his nest. It was a fascinating documentary on how eagles partner and nest.
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QM, when my Mom & Dad lived in the country, they had pileated woodpeckers that nested in a tree behind their home. It was awesome to watch the feedings of their young! Those babies are huge & I often wondered how they all fit in the nest.
As for us, we have the pileated, downy, hairy, yellow bellied, & a ground eating variety (the name escapes me).
Yes, oiled sunflower seeds. All of the birds are fed that here, though we do put a mixed blend in the smaller feeder for the spring songbirds. The yellow bellied sap sucker rules the feeder. Even the bluejays leave when he comes to feed.
This past summer I found several feathers, I suppose the birds were molting. The most beautiful are those of the woodpeckers & bluejays. D
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Oh, diddy, do you remember how large the pileated woodpecker’s nest was at your parent’s house? I was just curious. They are quite large birds as you mention. I bet the chicks are pretty big. Most of the sites I link to say the pileated’s average size is like that of a crow but that they can get larger in the North. I was telling Liz, these looked more like raven size. (But then, I’m not a good judge of size in animals or birds.)
The yellow-bellied sapsuckers are so cool, diddy. It’s great you get them at your feeder. I read at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (LINK) that the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the only woodpecker in eastern North America that is completely migratory (unlike the pileated that tends to stay put). The sapsuckers go as far south as Panama. Females tend to migrate farther south than do males.
The other 2 things about the sapsuckers: they use human materials including metals for their nests. They also make two kinds of holes:
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker makes two kinds of holes in trees to harvest sap. Round holes extend deep in the tree and are not enlarged. The sapsucker inserts its bill into the hole to probe for sap. Rectangular holes are shallower, and must be maintained continually for the sap to flow. The sapsucker licks the sap from these holes, and eats the cambium of the tree too. New holes usually are made in a line with old holes, or in a new line above the old.
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One more thing about woodpeckers, I found a link to some of those Ivory-Billed Woodpecker sightings in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Liz and I watched a show about the research a few years ago. This is a pretty cool link about the process of Tim Gallagher and Bobby Harrison finally getting to see and hear the “Double Knock” of their own Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Below are a couple of excerpts. It’s great to read the whole documentation though. The second link is the comparison between the Ivory-Billed and the Pileated; third link is the recorded sound.
Seven Sightings — The Search For The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker at Cornell Lab of Ornithology (LINK)
Identification — Distinguishing between Ivory-billed and Pileated woodpeckers, photos at Cornell Lab of Ornithology (LINK)
Listening for the Ivory-bill at Cornell Lab of Ornithology (LINK)
Between February 11, 2004, and February 14, 2005, the search team reported at least 15 sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Seven of these included sufficient details to include in the Science article (Science Express, April 28, 2005).
February 11, 2004: At about 1:30 P.M., while kayaking through the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, Gene Sparling of Hot Springs, Arkansas, watched as a huge and unusual woodpecker with a red crest flew toward him and landed on a nearby tree. The bird hitched around the tree in what he later described as a “herky jerky” or “cartoon-like” motion. Sparling noticed several field marks suggesting that the bird was an Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
February 27, 2004: “As he finished his notes, Harrison sat down on a log, put his face in his hands, and began to sob. ‘I saw an ivory-bill,’ he said. I stood quietly a few feet away, too choked with emotion to speak,” Gallagher said. Later, Harrison said, “I have always believed that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker still lived, and finding one has been a dominant force in my life for more than three decades. Finding an ivory-bill was a 33-year dream come true for me.”
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QM, the baby pileated woodpeckers at my parents home were viewed through binoculars, but they are big! To see all of their mouths opening wide for food was unbelievable. They appeared to be larger than their parents. They look much larger than a raven. The nests are also huge, but it doesn’t seem like enough space for all. I wish I had taken photos, but I’ll check with Dad. He takes his camera everywhere.
Our sapsucker doesn’t leave. He stays here year long, though I have seen his mate seldom. His head has the big red spot. She is not as handsome. I suppose timing is important. She is probably an early bird & I am not!
Guess this spring should be a time for me to have my camera ready. I enjoy the wildlife here, but rarely capture it on film. Every day, we witness the deer in the backyard but this time of year they just blend into the background. D
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QM: On the way to breakfast, after morning meditation in Taos, a magpie and a pileated woodpecker carried on a conversation, beside the patio. Listening, my heart broke open wide.
Your list of characteristics is so perfect for my situation.
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QM, what a wonderful sign for you to receive on Friday, especially. And they are gorgeous, black, white, and that red feather cap. I think that seeing three males together must be unusual, rare even. That’s why I see this as a specific sign and not just three birds that happened to show up.
We have many crested woodpeckers around this part of the Rio Grande Valley. I love their sound. I’m surprised by how big some of them are.
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I love these birds. Saw my first ones last spring when visiting a friend in rural central Wisconsin. She’d spent time in her family retreat there for years. (40 years) and had never seen a pileated woodpecker,though her father had assured her they nested nearby. The very day she told me this, I spotted two of them in the woods while I was walking. I felt blessed. And guilty. Not sure if I should mention this to my friend or not….I did…and sent her to the spot. But alas, the birds had flown.
When I first spotted these guys, I couldn’t tell what they were. So huge!! At first, I thought they were eagles!
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@QM – Great post; I really enjoyed reading it.
It always gives me cause for pause when I hear a woodpecker drumming up a storm. As a cold front moved in Friday I heard one in the woods behind our house – had to stop and listen and try to spot him. No luck though.
I didn’t see it in these guides you posted but here north of the border there is also a ‘great’ subspecies which are substantially larger. My wife and I saw one while visiting a relations cottage some years ago and were awed at the sheer size of it. Honestly, we felt blessed to have seen it and still talk about it; eyes saucer-sized.
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Thanks Norm. I wonder which sub-species of woodpecker you are viewing in Canada. It is very hard to spot them since their drumming seems to echo and bounce around through the forest. I know I really had to stop silent and search each of the trees to locate them. I found one. Then the other two took flight to connect with the one I was viewing.
Jude that’s a great story about spotting a pileated in Wisconsin. And the fact that your friend had been going there for 40 years and never seen one. That leads me back to how animals and birds tend to show up to those who might need to see them, or be reminded of characteristics the bird is naturally presenting to them. Perhaps a totem day. 8)
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diddy, I do think it’s the size of the pileated that really gives me pause. Binocs or not, they are giants of the forest. Hey, I’m surprised the yellow-bellied sapsucker near you doesn’t migrate since I read that they do. But then, the migration patterns have been a little crazy. We’ve had robins back in Minnesota for the last month. They seem all confused!
I actually read that some robins migrate to Canada instead of south. I found a link about these confused robins and their migration (or is it the humans who are confused?) here at American Robin — Journey North — Making Sense of Robin Migration (LINK) I find migration patterns of birds amazing. I’ve read quite a few books on raptors and their migration routes. And, of course, the sandhill cranes.
Hey, did you all get that snowstorm yesterday? I wondered if you were all socked in there. We saw on the news that some states in the East had snow days yesterday. 8)
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ybonesy, I think there might be a couple of species of woodpecker specific to New Mexico, Arizona maybe. I might have read that somewhere. There are birds down in the desert and high desert that we’ll never see up in these wet northern lands. Especially if they don’t migrate.
breathepeace, I love the magpies there in Taos. I’m quite fond of them. How rare to see one talking to a pileated woodpecker. Wish I could have seen that. Did you have your camera? 8)
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QM, I don’t know why our sapsucker hangs around all year. Possibly the feeding? But, I can tell you he rules the feeder.
My Dad thinks the robins don’t migrate. Seriously, that is what he believes. However, I’ve been looking & haven’t seen one yet.
Yes, we got some snow. Not what they called for but we did get about an inch & a half. The winds though, were brutal. I had to fight to open the screen door to go outside for wood. It’s been very cold here, but things are to get back to normal temps.
I had to chuckle about the magpies. I once had a driver who called me Maggie & referred to me at times as Magpie.
Once, when I sent him into NYC he sent a prayer:
“Now I lay me down to sleep
My big truck parked on a New York street
If I should die before I rest
Tell old Magpie I did my best!”
D
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Back again… I double checked my recollection with my wife over dinner tonight about that sighting. Right after we saw it we ran into the cottage for the bird guide book which I’m pretty sure was one of the Peterson guides. In the book we found the pileated’s page which showed a ‘standard’ size and also the ‘great’. Imagine another 4-6 inches taller from crown to tail tip and 9-12 inches of wingspan for the ‘great’ variety. Massive.
Lynda and I were holding our hands apart and ‘guestimating’ the size of the tree trunk bole and then further again for the wingspan. It swooped in nimbly and landed about 20 feet from us where it proceeded to beat an incredible tattoo on the tree. As soon as he hopped around to our side and realized we were there he took off again.
In talking about that incident it caused us to recollect another that also happened at that cottage during another visit. Early one morning while enjoying a cup of coffee outside Lynda was lazily waving her hand at something buzzing by her ear. Just as she turned to see what it was she realized it was a baby hummingbird – which promptly took off. ‘Oh, come back baby. I didn’t mean it, really! Oohhh!!’ She damn near cried cuz she was so mad at herself. It was about the size of a nickel, plus wings.
It has been a few years since we were last there but thinking about this has made me want to revisit and make some new memories.
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Wow, a baby hummingbird. That must have been something, like seeing Tinkerbell herself. 8)
I’d never known of the “great” variety of the woodpecker. That would, indeed, be great to see.
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Norm, thanks for coming back and elaborating on the standard and great woodpeckers. I didn’t remember that at all. I’m going to have to dig out my own Peterson guide and check out the stats. I’m really curious now. Something else you said, about how they realized you were there and took off — I find the woodpeckers to be really skittish around people. They are hyper-alert with their necks and eyes scanning the landscape at the same time they are drumming away on a trunk or branch. I’m not so sure they are fond of people! (And who could blame them since we almost wiped the pileated and ivory-billed woodpeckers off the planet.)
Norm, I’m not sure if you saw these couple of older red Ravine posts, but ybonesy’s husband Jim is a Hummingbird Whisperer. Your comment about Lynda and the hummingbird buzzing away reminded me. I even got to witness it. I visited ybonesy one summer right after she moved into her new home. And that day, a hummingbird ran into the sliding glass of her patio doors. Jim was right there, and as soon as he came over and was near the bird, it recovered and flew away. They love him. I’m guessing it’s one of his Totems.
Here are links to two of her hummingbird pieces:
The Hummingbird Messenger (LINK)
In Praise Of Nature & Garage Sales (LINK)
I love hummingbirds but have not seen a ton of them in Minnesota (though I know they are here). The most amazing experience I’ve had with hummingbirds is once when I visited a friend in the mountains outside of Denver, Colorado. There were 5 or 6 hummingbird feeders on her high deck. And I’m telling you, there must have been about 30 or 40 hummingbirds all buzzing around the nectar in those feeders. They would come right up to her and land on her fingers while feeding. Totally trusting. There is something to be said for spending time in places off the beaten path. You see so much more of the Earth and Skies we call home.
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That experience in the Colorado mountains sounds amazing. You’re right–a lot to be said for living close to wilderness.
Thanks for pointing out Jim’s special way with hummers, too. I want to ask him if he’s seen many baby hummingbirds. I know he’s seen at least one, because I saw it with him. The only one I’ve ever seen.
QM, I just searched the comments to see if I’ve ever told you this (I get to where I repeat myself a lot in comments) but have I told you about how much my oldest was afraid of woodpeckers when she was a baby. She called them “dah-doos.” We don’t know where she got that word, but whenever she heard one knock-knock-knocking on wood in a tree somewhere, she’d say in a loud whisper, “dah-doo,” and come running to either me or Jim. She was just terrified of that sound until she was old enough to take her head out of whoever’s neck she had it buried in to and actually start to see what it was making the noise.
We still sometimes call them “dah-doos.” It’s one of those words we’ll always be fond of. (Kind of like how Em still says “buther” for “butter.” 8)
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QM – Thanks for your comments and for sharing the Denver memories and the links. I can’t recall whether I saw those posts or not so I’ll follow the links & check them out.
We’re fortunate in seeing hummingbirds occasionally at home depending on what is flowering. Must get a feeder or three this year to see if we can’t attract more.
yb – ‘dah-doos’ is precious. One of those in-family language ‘keepers’. I like the image of her burying her head into your neck. So, Jim is a H.B. Whisperer?? Lucky for the birds, for Jim and for you.
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I hadn’t read those posts before; they’re terrific! It wonderful going through the comments and seeing how various people are affected by your words. Powerful. Thanks again.
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ybonesy, dah-doos and buther from Em and Dee, priceless. Norm’s right, one of those family language keepers. I’m always amazed at the internal languages of married life and families. Words we’d never use anywhere else but home. There’s a comfort in that.
Norm, thanks again for visiting this post again. I haven’t seen the pileated woodpeckers since that Friday after work. Haven’t heard them either. I can’t believe that was only a week ago. It seems like a year. When I revisit the haiku, I want to change the last line around to dig for deeper truth, but it changes the meaning slightly. I wonder which fits better.
woodpecker drumming
beetles hidden under bark;
dig for deeper truth
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Though I’ve been keeping eyes and ears open I haven’t had any sign of him again since then either. He must have been making a pit stop to fuel up before carrying on with his journey.
Straight preference – I like the second haiku better. It does change the overall meaning. Actually I have a link for a youtube video that relates directly to this – word order, meaning, phrase order. Lemme see here…
Back to hummingbirds (and not to belabor this but…) I was scanning youtube videos for acts that were popular back in the day but who hadn’t been too active of late. I came across Rita Coolidge’s latest incarnation, her band ‘Walela’…. which in Cherokee means ‘hummingbird’. Here’s a profile / sample:
I’d like both of your email addresses for future reference – QM & yb – reach me at heyimtheluckyone@hotmail.com
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QM: I like both haiku and don’t think that you have to choose between them as to which “fits better.”
One thing I’ve learned in reading a lot of haiku is that the Japanese haiku masters wrote over and over again on the same topics. Since their subjects were often the seasons, weather, the moon and many things of nature, there are many haiku on the same subject with only subtle differences.
If you publish a haiku book, you may have to choose between them, but until then, celebrate the subtle difference and enjoy them both.
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Good way of looking at it, breathepeace. I have wondered about whether the masters wrote about the same items over and over. I also remember something Rob Wilder once said about how he always wrote about his mother and going with her to the beach. He wrote about a certain scene or time over and over, seeing what came out with each recollection, each recounting.
OK, having said that, I like the rhythm of “dig for deeper truth.” Maybe it’s the two short words balancing the longer word. So it’s not so much about the difference in meaning that I’m responding to but rather just the way the words come off my tongue.
Norm, oh, I see you have a youtube video about word order. Hmmm, I’ll have to check that out. Also the Walela link. And I do believe you have my email address from my comments on your blog. Thanks for sharing yours.
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I’ve been meaning to get back to this post, finally made it. Haven’t seen hide nor hair of the pileated woodpeckers since that Friday. They must have been just passing through. What an honor to have seen them.
And thanks to all for the feedback on the haiku. I’m glad I don’t have to choose, breathepeace. I do kind of like the second one better in form. But I like the meaning of the first, my original intention.
I’m glad you said that about repeating themes in haiku, breathepeace. And ybonesy, about what Rob said, too. And I remember Natalie has said that as well — we continue to write about the same things because that’s where the juice is for us.
We also write about what matters to us. After years of Writing Practice, it would seem there would be nothing else to say. But it’s just the opposite. There is more and more. And the same subjects are revisited from a different perspective. Same with haiku it seems. I’m sure I will always write about the Moon. 8)
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diddy, I had to come back to this post and leave a comment about the robins. We watched a show the other night on birds and it said that there are two types of robins. One migrates, the other doesn’t. To tell the difference, you study their behavior. The ones that are comfortable, calm, relaxed, at home, are the ones that don’t migrate. The robins that migrate are twittering around, jumping around, noisy and talking up a storm. They’re also hungry so vigilantly looking for food. That’s what the show said anyway. Mystery solved! Robins do and don’t migrate; everyone is right!
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QM, thanks for the update! My Dad has always been a bird watcher & I guess that’s where I got it from. I still have yet to see a robin this year, though we had a beautiful day with temps above 60. They’re caling for rain tomorrow, so perhaps that will bring them out in the open.
I can’t wait to share this with Dad. I really thought he was losing it! D
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QM, just wanted to say that I saw my first Robin today. I had run a few errands & when I came home, it was here on a small slope in the back yard. We shared about a minute of staring at each other. I just hope it’s not the same Robin who fell in love with my car last year! D
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diddy, X marks the spot! I just know that’s the same robin, back to haunt you and your car. 8) It’s back down to freezing today in Minnesota, about 32 where I am. After a few days in the 50’s and 60’s. I think we still might have one more snowstorm left before “true spring.”
The robins are hearty though. I haven’t seen a ton of them this year yet either. Only one or two. Let us know if Mr. Robin starts bob, bob, bobbing on your car!
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Great article (and comments!) I wish we had woodpeckers here in Western Australia, but in the meantime I’ll be happy with the totem messages from unique messengers like the Currawong.
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ravenari, thanks for stopping by. I didn’t know you didn’t have woodpeckers in Australia. I just never thought about that. I often think of colorful birds and strangely different mammals in Australia. It’s one place I’ve always wanted to visit. I see by your link that you’ve done quite a bit on logging the totem animals with your dictionary. I wonder what a White Winter Squirrel means? We saw one on our deck today. She was munching on seeds from the birdfeeders. I took it as a good luck sign for the New Year. Hope you’ll stop by again.
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Oh, I forgot to mention that Liz saw a pileated woodpecker on the birdfeeder on our deck about two weeks ago. She said it looked so HUGE on the feeder right outside our living room window. So that’s two sightings this year. I don’t know if they live nearby or were just passing through. But I’m going to keep an eye out for them in the future!
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[…] – Woodpeckers. We had two sightings of the Pileated Woodpecker on our property this year. What a joy it is to see them. They’ve got to be the closest thing […]
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UPDATE: Saw a pileated woodpecker on our neighbor’s tree on Friday. We walked across the street to visit with our garden lady neighbor. Her granddaughter, Amber, was frolicking through the yard. The huge pileated flew to a nearby ash tree, rested long enough for us to see her, then darted erratically across the park behind their yard and landed on a tilted oak.
It was too fast to take a photo. But I can never believe how huge these birds are! And how prehistoric they look. I took it as a good sign. I notice that I see pileated woodpeckers when some big change is coming for me. Usually a change that makes me uncomfortable for a time but is long overdue. That’s what I saw in this sighting. And when I re-read what the Woodpecker totem stands for (in post above), I know it’s true. Change is in the wind. I’m ready.
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[…] The rodents can jump about 4 feet from the deck rail to the feeders if they put their minds to it. I love the woodpeckers and am happy they have found a safe place to feed for the […]
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[…] Downy pecks at the suet feeder. Black-eyed peas simmer in a vintage crock-pot in the kitchen. Temperatures […]
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i seen a woodpecker in my tree whilst working outside, today. He/she was tappin in my tree and then rubbin his face on the branch. He did this for a little bit. I Just stood there watching him.
A true beauty. Tried to get a photo of him but he kept moving. A blessing
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Liana, the woodpeckers are abundant on the oaks and ash in our yard this year, too. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience. Woodpeckers look prehistoric to me…they take me back years and years and years. I love that about them. And that dash of red!
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I saw the pileated woodpecker yesterday3/30/2016. It was at the same spot pecking away at a dead stump all day. What a hardworker! He started pecking around 8am and he was still at it around 5. I didn’t check after that. But I don’t often see this bird, also lately I have been getting signs and symbols from the bird/animal kingdom. It’s out of the norm enough for me to become alert and take notice. I have often seen the smaller woodpecker but not the pileated, beautiful bird and he was big too.
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[…] info on pileated woodpeckers: Heartbeat of the earth Spirit info All About […]
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