From: Larry Taylor
Subject: Woody or Woodn't he
Date: May 25, 2010 11:49:41 AM PDT
To: Linda
I'm very happy you liked the woodpeckers, it was a lot of fun. We are going to this preserve with an estate house and quite of bit of land, orange grove, etc. on it, called Genius Preserve--It was owned by a family named Genius. It's closed to the public and operated as sort of a study area by Rollins College here in the middle of Winter Park, but we were invited to take part in a survey every week or once a month of the birds in there. Sometimes we're among only four or six people with the leader, Bruce, and often I'm the only one with a camera, so that's where we got the Peacock tail shots the other day. This weekend, Bruce said they saw a Pileated Woodpecker pair feeding young at the nest hole, and he showed us where it was. He said it would show up and the babies were inside waiting. As soon as they heard the adult bird land on the tree, they stuck their heads out and began cheeping (or squawking) for food and I snapped them. We saw three feedings, with about 10-15 minutes between visits by the adults, both male and female. The Pileated Woodpecker is a great big one, the real Woody Woodpecker (I used to love that cartoon----aaa-aa-aa-AAAK-AK). When it flies, you can see white against the black on its wings and it makes a loud thonking sound when it hammers on a tree. Barbara says I've been trying for years to get photos of one in focus. I certainly haven't had any chicks and never so good a look at them.
