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I'm not a big fan of woodpeckers. We had to take down the hummingbird feeders because they attracted the woodpeckers. Too much time spent stuccoing up the holes they've drilled in the sides of our house. Luckily, something is nearly always in bloom so the hummers come around anyway.
I've never seen, or heard of, woodpeckers being attracted to hummingbird feeders. How odd. The only competition for the nectar here are ants, wasps and occasionally, a dragonfly.
But that puts me in mind of something. The first winter here was very harsh and mid-way through, bluejays began to peck at the house's wood siding. I'm talking 40+ birds, several times a day, from dawn to dusk. It sounded at times like we were under attack by a herd of woodpeckers.
Turns out they were getting much-needed calcium from the paint, as all natural sources were unavailable. A birding site recommended putting out crushed egg shells for them. So, I began saving egg shells, heating them in the oven to kill salmonella, then crushing them and putting them in a shallow dish on both sides of the house.
Worked like a charm. They immediately stopped assaulting the house. Now, come fall, I start saving crushed egg shells and storing them in the freezer to be ready for winter.
And one of these years, I'll get the house re-painted....
I've never seen, or heard of, woodpeckers being attracted to hummingbird feeders. How odd. The only competition for the nectar here are ants, wasps and occasionally, a dragonfly.
Hummers and woodpeckers both have tongues that are used to access nectar. A feeder full of sugar water, especially in the desert, screams "free buffet!" Why fly around looking for lunch?
We have a hummingbird feeder out but haven't seen hummers this year as of yet-well we saw one come to the window BEFORE the feeder was out but once the feeder was out, we haven't seen them. We seem to only get ruby-throated around here. We "named" them "George" & "Gracie". We may have more than one "George" or more than one "Gracie." It is hard to tell how many we have when only once comes to the feeder at a time.
Hummers and woodpeckers both have tongues that are used to access nectar. A feeder full of sugar water, especially in the desert, screams "free buffet!" Why fly around looking for lunch?
Makes sense. Most of our woodpecker visits to the feeders are in winter/spring, when snow rules. They don't overlap much with hummers this far north. And in summer when the hummers return, woodpeckers have water everywhere and insects galore to feast on.
I'm going to keep an extra sharp lookout though, just in case. Would LOVE to get a pic of a woodpecker sneaking some sugar water.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CatwomanofV
We have a hummingbird feeder out but haven't seen hummers this year as of yet-well we saw one come to the window BEFORE the feeder was out but once the feeder was out, we haven't seen them. We seem to only get ruby-throated around here. We "named" them "George" & "Gracie". We may have more than one "George" or more than one "Gracie." It is hard to tell how many we have when only once comes to the feeder at a time.
Cat
We only get ruby-throats here too. But I'm glad of them. The first arrived here this year in early May. I have three feeders out and have so far seen two males and a female.
More pics from the vault. Apologies in advance for any repeats.
An occasional and always-welcome visitor is the Hairy Woodpecker. The female below, dubbed Hairyetta (of course) came 2-3 times a day for a couple of weeks to vigorously peck at the feeder.
A self-portrait, suitably obscured to spare anyone from saying, "Hey, you look pretty good for 87."
A female ruby-throated hummer juuuust about to alight for a sip.
A parent's work is never done.
Mourning Doves are the Scarecrows of the avian world. ("If I only had a brain...") But they're pretty.
One of nature's great subjects below. I've taken hundreds of shots of these scamps.
This is from the backyard of the house I lived in for 30 years and in which my sons still reside. My now-deceased wife was an avid gardener. The boys and I aren't. But somehow stuff keeps blooming, like the roses below.
Hmmm...what do we have in this cup beside the tequila...?
Aha!!
Th-th-th-that's all folks.
Awesome. Great self-portrait and I love the chipmunk pics, especially.
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