Sharon has always had an affinity for Pileated Woodpeckers – these large birds possessing loads of character! A year after moving to The Ranch, one male showed up unexpectedly; normally these species don’t live here. They teemed below us, thick in the Bitterroot Mountains but absent forests to call home, yet we didn’t mind seeing what appeared to be an occasional male wandering our valley for several days – we caught glimpses here and there for several weeks or so. As late summer came around, two fledglings appeared for over a week – an indication of nesting somewhere nearby – only for nothing to appear for months after. We were devastated but such is nature of birds; finally a female began appearing regularly after Thanksgiving until December when I told Sharon as I headed out to hide for some hours that where there are girls, there will always be guys!
As soon as I heard a Pileated drumming on a tree and calling, it struck me as odd; usually she reappears by mid afternoon. So, I texted Sharon that female had returned early. And didn’t give it another thought. As soon as I saw that iconic black form glide past, she confirmed her presence with the classic black form gliding past my hide and her distinctive drumming on Owl Box #1 – this was loud! So loud I texted Sharon who looked out from her office and confirmed its presence. Assuming it was female again, neither one of us glassed to verify. Instead, the bird flew to Owl Box #3 pictured here where I slowly swung my lens around to watch until it finally dawned on me that this one was indeed male! He had come onto our property advertising his presence for spring having seen female feeding on our property just prior. Since his return, we’ve seen both male and female Pileateds frequent our area daily – with female maintaining her daily schedule as well. We were overjoyed when it turned out they’ve been known to use nesting boxes! Since we don’t currently possess the appropriate size and age of pines to offer as suitable nest sites, we remain hopeful for spring.
