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Pileated



>and saw a Pileated Woodpecker in the swampy area in the middle of the loop
- usually I 
>just hear them at Mason Farm but don't get to see them.  

That sounds like it was a nice walk Amalie, I need to get back out there.
Speaking of the Pileated, I had a pleasant encounter with one the other day.
They nest in the woods across the gravel road from my house so I get to hear
them a lot too.  They often come across to my side for hunting and checking
out their favorite trees there so I get to see them quite a bit also.  Well
the other day I was in my living room and I could hear one outside clucking
away.  It was REALLY loud though, so I knew he was close.  There's one
particular old loblolly snag they like to check out that's only about 10
feet into the woods from my front yard and when I stepped outside that's
where I saw him clinging.  I stalked as close as I could without disturbing
him, only moving when there was a sound and using other trees for cover, and
watched him for a while.  He was taking big slow pecks knocking off small
pieces of the old tree, probably going for the termites that live in there.
After a while he flew off and I followed him through the woods.  He went to
a few different trees but what surprised me most was when he swooped down
and landed on the ground.  He looked a little out of place there, not your
everyday sight.  He hopped over to an old log on the ground and then up onto
it.  Same as with the snag, he started taking big pecks at it knocking off
small pieces.  I've come across a few old logs on the ground recently that
have been freshly torn up and all I could think of that would do that was a
raccoon or maybe a opossum but I'd never even thought about a woodpecker!
It was exciting stuff, not only did I get to follow a Pileated for a long
while but I got a lesson from him too!  After he flew off I decided to let
him be and went over to investigate the old log that he liked, so now I can
recognize those markings.  I thanked him for the show and then moved on.

Craig Armstrong
Chapel Hill