melissatwa's Journal, 28 Jan 22

They’re huge!!!! 

Nce. Look at those monsters! 

Awesome. Those particular woodpeckers look a little prehistoric to me. We have giant ones as well. So cool. 

Why did I hear " Heh-heh-heh-HEHHHH-heh″ when I looked at this picture? 😆 I had no idea woodpeckers were that big! Wow! 

🐻, I am glad you enjoy the birds and that they can bring to you a good memory. Feeding them brings so much enjoyment t for sure! ❤️ Thank you, Maine coon! I hope your weekend is going well! onderwegnaar, thank you! The platform I bought, but the suet feeder was very simple to make. 😊The feeder is just a hunk of cedar to hook the suet holder to and some bark added for woodpecker toes to grab! It isn't shown, but I have a branch coming out of the pole top that the birds perch on too. It is fun to see what a little simple things can make birds happy... And thus me happy too! 😁  

Liv, arent they amazing?! 😍 Yes, Erquiaga, it is Woody and his girlfriend for sure! 😂 Kimmer and Bill, they are unbelievably big when you see little song birds flying around them trying to get to the feeder too. They aren't even frightened of the "monsters!" welllll, at least the little birds aren't when the red heads are settled in eating, when they fly over the little guys, scatter like they wind. I think they imagine a huge hawk is heading their way!  

Br_e_co, they absolutely do! That is why this pair is named Dino and Dina in a nod to their pterodactyl buddies! 😁 I hope your weekend is going well and you are enjoying the snow, mermee! Hahah, arent they crazy, Gib_Jig? And... Soooooo loud! We seem to have quite a few In our area. They are territorial and their territories are pretty big, but when walking I hear them so often doing their Woody call. I don't see them very often except at my feeder, which they frequent a couple times a day!  

I forgot how huge these things are. I've only heard them in the deer woods never really spotted one. we used to have a red bellied that hit our feeders I believe they're 9" tall.  

Gorgeous - fine feathered friends! 

Your pics prompted to Google woodpeckers in our area. We do have pileated woodpeckers & I think I've seen them. We have a little guy....I believe a red headed woodpecker that comes regularly to our feeder. I was surprised, since I didn't know they would eat at a feeder. 

Wow! They are so stunning, I have seen one...once. 

Andrew, I've never seen a red bellied woodpecker! I knoq these guys are between 16 and 19 inches tall. That is a lot of bird! 😁 But, I think all woodpeckers are so beautiful and interesting! Arent they Erika? 😁 SherryeB, our norther flicker woodpeckers eat at my tube feeder occasionally when it has a few peanuts in with the seed or I add meal worms, but mostly all the different woodpeckers come to the suet feeder. I know there is a red sapsucker woodpecker I occasionally see, but they never to my knowledge visit a feeder. Whether the woodpeckers come to the suet or not does seem to depend on the quality of the food! I have folks I talk to in my area that can't seem to attract them. I feel super blessed! ❤️ I am glad you have beautiful birds!  

Kdrama4life, I do feel so thankful I get to see them almost daily right now... Sometimes they visit a couple times a day that I see anyway. There are many birds I'd love to see that I never have. Two on my list are cardinals and orioles. They must be stunning in real life! 😁  

My son when he was younger was onemsessed with birds. He has a few field guides. I had to look it up I thought it may have been a pileated but it was too small. I'm in northern Illinois and up until a couple years ago hadn't seen one. Threw me off. We do get downys and hairys. I just use the universal black oil sunflower seed. The starlings ruin my suet.  

Just gorgeous animals. in the Rolodex of my mind, Melissa, you are the 10-mile walking bird women from the Pac-NW with a beautiful and compassionate spirit, the annual wedding dress "I'm still maintaining" trial, and the month-long European family vacay. A CV to be proud of! So glad to know you. 

Oh, gastropod, I just saw your wonderful and kind comment! Thank you so much for your encouragement! I still walk the 10 miles, but not as frequently or quickly as before my knee stopped being so cooperative. I seem to manage about once a week now, but I'm hoping for better as the summer comes. I do have pretty birds! I can not fit in my dress... 😭 I've got to be at my absolute thinnest, and that is not now, but I'm not giving up. Again, summer is coming and I'm going to keep working at it. 😁 We won't be vacationing with family and friends for a month this year, but for the first time since out honeymoon nearly 30 years ago, my hubby and I are hoping to go away for a couple weeks alone next fall. We are dreaming and checking flights! Again! Thank you for your sweet remarks. I want to be everything you said! 😁 ❤️  

Andrew! My oldest son was my bird guy! He still fains enthusiasm for my sake when I excitedly show him a bird! 😁 Yes, starlings can be so troubling. There are ways to beat them though! 😁 If you are interested, look up starling resistant suet feeders. Because of how they are designed, starlings can not readily cling upside down like is easy for most woodpeckers. Some very simple changes to even a little basket feeder can work.! I wish you could come into my store and I'd set you up with a beautiful little feeder at my price! 😁