I decided to stay home this morning and focus upon my local birds. With many chicks getting near fledgling size, the parents are very busy feeding which makes them easier to find. This morning my male Pileated Woodpecker posed for the perfect photograph! I love Pileated Woodpeckers and Lupines, and the combination of the two was fantastic! Better yet, many of the birds consider me “Mr. Bird Seed”, and will allow me to get closer than the norm. Such is the case with Mr. and Mrs. Pileated. They visit my suet feeders several times per day. I took this photograph in my own yard.

Having the right habitat in one’s yards also helps immensely. I never cut down trees, and what little yard I have is a mixture of long trail grass and perennials. The only reason the tree in these photographs shows evidence of having been cut is the trunk fell across my driveway. After storm cleanup I pushed the trunk and branches into my yard’s forested area. The Pileated Woodpeckers have appreciated that fact.