In Pursuit of the Pileated

Female Pileated Woodpecker

I have been actively feeding wild birds for most of my adult life.  Living adjacent to the Tichigan Wildlife Area in Southeastern Wisconsin, I have enjoyed regular visits from all the resident woodpeckers, including several seasons with nesting Red-Headed Woodpeckers in my yard. Despite my successes, it is the largest of the woodpeckers, the Pileated, that continued to elude me.

Note:  The Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the Imperial Woodpecker are/were larger than the Pileated.  Both species were believed to have gone extinct in the 20th century.  However, recent sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas and other remote swamp regions in the southern US indicate that a small breeding population may still exist of this magnificent species.

While my yard boasts plenty of mature oaks and other hardwood trees, the surrounding area simply does not include the 150-200 acres of forest territory that the Pileated requires.  However, my 5-acre camp in Florence County, Wisconsin does have a large forest area adjacent to 75 acres of State-owned land and in close proximity to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.  The perfect habitat for Pileated Woodpeckers, our property hosts many dead trees displaying their woodcarving handiwork.  Their raucous call/laugh is often heard while we are up there, and we often catch a glimpse of them flying from tree to tree. Unfortunately, keeping bird feeders both full and out of the hands of hungry bears when you are only up for a long weekend is next to impossible.

Pileated Tree Excavation

This year, I found myself with the entire month of January off.  While not my first choice for making an extended visit, I knew that it would afford me the opportunity to place feeders (while the bears are sleeping) and make some observations of the hardy year-round bird population, including the Pileated Woodpecker.

Armed with two suet feeders and cakes, I was able to attract both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers the first few days, as well as both White-Breasted and Red-Breasted Nuthatches.  It was comical watching a particularly feisty female Downy take on a much larger male Hairy Woodpecker on a regular basis.

Hairy (left), Downy (right) Woodpeckers

By the second week, I still had not seen or heard the Pileated, despite the fact that a tree right outside my bedroom window looked to have been freshly excavated.

I was enjoying my quiet time in the woods, and became accustomed to the daily routine of the Black-capped Chickadees, woodpeckers, Blue Jays and occasional visits from an American Goldfinch and a small flock of Common Redpolls.

I had planned for different scenarios I might encounter while alone in a cabin with no running water.  I had gas in the snowmobile, plenty of firewood and mace in case I encountered wolves while walking my dogs.  I did not, however, prepare for serious illness.  What started as a sore throat, soon developed into an abscess on the tonsil, and I found myself hospitalized in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  My winter retreat was to be cut short by about a week, and I was disappointed that I had not accomplished what I had set out to do.

While resting in my hospital bed the morning before I was to head home, my husband called from the cabin to say that a Pileated Woodpecker had been hanging around the property.  Great!  I couldn't believe that after almost two weeks, the cruel irony of my being in the hospital, with my camera back at the cabin was too much.  But I got lucky!

Sometimes in life the good things are just worth waiting for, and this beautiful female Pileated Woodpecker did make a magnificent appearance the next morning, as we packed up my things to head back home.  The video below is a compilation of still shots and video that I captured that beautiful winter morning!

Happy Birding!

I am available for birding presentations to your business, group or organization. For more info:  Belinda's Website