One of the things I learned from the birding folks who drop by Pure Florida is that Pileated Woodpeckers love magnolia seeds.
It had just never occurred to me that a tree whacking, bug seeking, feathered missle would eat fruit.
In some long ago post, when I wondered outloud why the PW's were shaking the hell out of my magnolia tree, y'all educated me about their feeding habits.
Now I see them in there quite often and I am seeing lots of young 3 foot tall magnolia seedlings out in my woods, usually beneath a perfect perching/pooping branch from an older oak.
Sweet!
This is what the PW's are after.
This is what I'm after.
The bronze scuppernong grapes are finally beginning to ripen!
15 comments:
We had PWs and scuppernongs at our Wakulla place, and I really missed both when we moved to town. Imagine my joy to find that we have a nesting pair somewhere in our little suburban greenbelt!!!
Wow, those grapes look wonderful.
I don't think there are any naturally occurring magnolias in my forest, but I know I have a couple of PWs.
Those are grapes? I have never heard of the them before!
That is a wonderful top picture! I didn't even see the fella when I first looked.
Great shot: at first glance I thought it may be an ivory bill!
Wow! beautiful bird. Beautiful grapes. And neat to think of the former planting nice trees for you.
Sayre,
Now all you need is a scuppernong vine!
Pablo,
And they are too! The aroma is heavenly.
Lisa,
They are very southern. I doubt if they get past Virginia.
Dani,
Thanks! He was pretty busy so I have a lot of partial and blurry shots.
Robert,
Hmmmm. Wouldn't that be cool!
ThreeCollie,
I wish they had planted the bamboo for me last weekend. That was a lot of work!
Nummers!
"tree whacking, bug seeking, feathered missile"
Got a good laugh out of that one.
I love PWs! But my mom has always hated scuppernongs...says they're too sweet.
The thicket that is the understory of my pines (honeysuckle, chokecherry, cotoneaster) is all bird planted and a bird magnet as well.
Those scuppernongs aren't anything that grows in "South" Dakota, they sure are pretty.
Those grapes looks like baby potatoes. Are they sweet?
Who woulda thought those tree whacking, bug seeking missiles actually ate fruit? I just saw one today, always an amazing sight.
cool. if we have pws here, i haven't spotted them. we do get some of the grapes to grow.
those are beautiful - they remind me of christmas decorations.
I am officially NOT in blog-reading mode during the first few weeks of school, but I am tip-toeing around PF as I sip my morning coffee. Just wanted to say hi. My students come on Monday. Yours too?
Dave,
They be good!
HT,
Too sweet?
Too much fun?
Caroline,
Definitely a southern thang. Sooo good tho.
Jean,
Tres sweet!
Deb,
They must have the broadest distribution of any bird!
Ericka,
I see it ... the Christmas thing.
You do have them in your area.
Miz S,
Mine arrived last Monday! Acckkkk!
:)
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