The Woodpecker Six Pack in My Yard

Ellen is a Facebook Fan of our Wild Birds Unlimited shop and she has nicknamed the six woodpeckers we're most likely to see in our area as the Woodpecker Six Pack.  I've had them all in my yard at least a few times and some of them every day.  Here's the birds that make up our Woodpecker Six PECK:

The HAIRY WOODPECKER is the most common woodpecker that visits our yard.  His "peek-peek" call often announces his arrival.  Their preferred food in my yard by far is Bark Butter.

 

The smaller DOWNY WOODPECKER is the next most common.  Like the hairy, they love the plum tree off the corner of the deck before heading off to feed on the Bark Butter or suet log.

 

We see the COMMON FLICKER with some regularity, almost exclusively on the ground, probing the yard with its long beak for ants and other insect delicacies.  It's uncommon to see flickers at feeders, but it CAN happen!

 

We used to see the YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER more frequently when we had more Mountain Ash trees in the yard.  Our ashes seemed to be one of the sapsucker's favorite trees to drill sap wells in since their sap flows very freely.  Unfortunately, the sapsuckers have contributed to the loss of several ash trees in my yard.  Only one remains and the sapsuckers have become more infrequent visitors.

 

PILEATED WOODPECKERS have plenty of their preferred coniferous forest habitat and carpenter ant food sources in the surrounding area, so I hear them more often than I see them.  I think it also explains why they haven't had to resort to my birdfeeders to satisfy their appetites.  The picture above is a pileated on a suet log feeder in the yard of WBU customer Sandra M.

 

The least frequent Six Peck member in my yard is the RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.  They're still just expanding their range into this part of the state and have are not regulars here - yet!  When they do visit, they're quick to the seed cylinder or stackables, so we almost always have some out on a feeder, just in case.

Not in the Six Peck....

Though the RED-HEADED WOODPECKER is a resident of New York state, they are very uncommon and I've never had one visit my yard.  I'd be one happy girl if they did and you'd be sure to hear about it.  In the meantime, you'll have to settle for this red-headed woodpecker picture taken in North Carolina.

So, which of the woodpecker Six Peck have you seen in your yard?

Comments

[How to Make a Six Pack]

Great info! Thank you!

[Michelle Hellstern]

P.S. cool I can reply on Facebook :D

[Michelle Hellstern]

I probably should, it's been a while since I've put out suet.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Kimberly - all that pounding during spring is most likely just territory announcing and/or mate attracting. You could put up some moving ribbons (mylar) to discourage them.
Rita - glad that this was a helpful post for you!
Obsessed - sounds like you need to get some suet back out there!

[ObsessedwithBirds]

Red-headed, Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, Pileated Woodpeckers; Northern Flicker; maybe Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, but I wouldn't remember - it's been a while.

That's at least seven. :)

[Rita Odeh]

Hi Sandy. I saw the woodpecker of the first shot which you called: a hairy woodpecker.The tree he landed on was full with holes like the one in the fourth shot. It is the first time in my life that I see a woodpecker. he looked so beautiful. I understood that he's a woodpecker when he bagan to peck the bare branches. Thanks for this entry, Sandy. Now, I am sure that I did see a woodpecker. I will make a haiga out of the best shot I have for him. Knowing who is in the shot can lead to a better poem.

much love,
rita

[Kimberly Buechner Fouse]

Here in northern Kentucky, we A LOT of Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers. The Red-bellied love to peck at the gutters on the house. It sounds like those road construction crews with mini jackhammers. And suggestion how to discourage them? We have peanuts in the shell, shelled peanuts and suet for them.