Mysterious Happenings

 We've had a mysterious happening here on the farm of late.  Alongside our driveway is a wood shed.  Beside this woodshed are a few stumps that have been torn apart by some critter - perhaps a bear? A porcupine, or a raccoon, or some other critter looking for insects within the wood?  Every day, just a little more wood has been torn out of the stumps.  

And then, we noticed some areas of the surrounding trees that were "scratched" away.  Perhaps the critter was also climbing the trees?  So many questions to be answered!

We decided to investigate this mysterious occurrence by placing a game camera on one of the smaller live trees so that we might see the varmint in action.  And this is what we saw...

Now, the funny thing is - I have been wanting to catch a photograph of a Pileated Woodpecker for years, but they are quite elusive and shy.  It's one bird that has continuously dodged the camera lens.  Almost every day I see one fly across my path, or hear one in the woods nearby, but just have never been able to capture one on "film.  The game camera is great for evidence, but not great for quality photography.  Still... it was fun to capture this guy in action!

If you are unable to view the video above, you can find it HERE.

We are going to place the game camera back in this spot just to make sure that no other critter might be adding to the woody destruction.  We'll let you know if we find anything of interest!

We had a visit from our "girls" Maggie and Macy and their Mom yesterday.  You might remember that they often house-sit for us when we go away.  We love their visits... and so do our animals!  


Back for a return visit was their rescue pup, Momma Bernadette!  Momma B. loves the farm, too!


It seems like every day more and more blossoms are opening, and the bees are once again buzzing!


What a colorful world this is becoming!

Blog Housekeeping:  I just received a message from Feedburner.  This is the service that sends out my blog posts to your email (if you signed up for that). 

In the near future, this service is apparently being discontinued....so, at some point you will no longer receive my blog in your email. 

 I apologize for this inconvenience, but it is completely out of my hands.  Sadly, I don't have any other options for you, other than to do a search for "Bee Haven Acres"...  you can find us with any search engine.  Most computers, phones, iPads, etc. let you add a website to a "reading list."  You might want to try this as an alternative.  If you use an Apple product, click the little box with the arrow coming out of it to save this website to your phone, or iPad, or computer.

As I mentioned yesterday.... the only constant thing is change.  I guess we'll just have to adapt!

Comments

Lisa said…
I have always wanted a Pileated woodpecker on film. But like you said they are so elusive. I just love them. They're so large and beautiful. I have your blog bookmarked. So every morning while I eat breakfast its the first I read.
Anonymous said…
Your flowers are beautiful
Marcia LaRue said…
The jigsaw puzzle currently being worked on by my neighbor and myself is a shaped picture of this very woodpecker! What??? Yes, indeedy! LOL
Kathy S said…
Like you, I have been unable to photograph a Pilleated Woodpecker. They are an elusive but impressive looking bird!
WendyFromNY said…
I have tons of trail cams, never occurred to me to try to capture a pileated. My woods are full of trees that they have put holes into. I will surely be doing that soon! My favorite cam is the Browning Recon Force Advantage.
stitcher said…
I new instantly it was a pileated, we have many, they come to our suet feeders. You'd think it was a chainsaw making all those chips when they get to pecking a tree.
This N That said…
I have never seen a Pileated Wooodpecker..I didn't realize they were so large..Glad you solved the mystery..Not happy about Feedburner..More change..Some things should just be left alone...Enjoy your day..Hugs xxoo
Karen said…
We live in a nesting zone for Pileated Woodpeckers and every spring they torment our metal gate:) And their screams fill the air . . . .in my sixteen year old dog's younger years - he'd hear that metal gate being pounded and have a melt down - shivering all over, drooling, trying to hide - scared to death! Now he can't hear very well and he is spared the misery . . . But we see them in our trees hammering away - it's amazing!
Kelley G said…

As a kid, I never thought that the cartoon, Woody Woodpecker, made any sense. Then in my twenties I saw and heard a Pileated Woodpecker and I understood where the idea came from. Especially his “laugh”.
They are search for ant larva for food in the wood they peck those big holes in
Robin said…
As I sat outside of my chicken coop this morning, I noticed movement in the neighbors trees. Surprisingly it was a Pileated Woodpecker. I have seen them here in Hershey before and watched one rip a dead tree to shreds. It was amazing that today your blog was about this woodpecker and I was able to see one. My husband and I watched it fly among the trees, never in view of a good picture though.
I love the video of that pileated woodpecker....they are so big. I saw my first one a couple of years ago here and then a short time later he landed on the railing of our deck! Will he hurt your trees? What can you do about that?
Your flowers are just beautiful and so colorful all around your place. Are those pansies in the final picture? Wow ...they look like velvet don't they? Thank you for a great blog! Glad you solved the mystery!
Oh I forgot to mention, I just created a shortcut on my desktop to your blog a couple of years ago, so when I sit down at night to read my favorite blogs, I just clicked on your shortcut! Easy Peasy!
Lynne said…
Great picture of Mister Pileated . . .
I hope he doesn’t start pecking on the house wood!

I rtoo eceived the Feed-burner message . . .
I agree, we can count on CHANGE.