In the late morning yesterday, I sat outside on our back deck reading the newspaper, happy it was warm enough to do so. The birds were singing and the woodpeckers pecking up a storm. I put my paper down and closed my eyes, listening and identifying the bird sounds but then stopped, just enjoying the symphony. I then thought about the birds' location, imagining me pointing to them like a conductor.  First the cardinals peep in the middle, then the chickadees chatter up close in a shrub, the tufted titmouses chirp on the left, the juncoes and white breasted sparrows chirp on the ground, and the finches sing everywhere. In the background, adding the percussion sounds, were all the drumming woodpeckers: the red bellied, downy, and sapsucker.

Then suddenly as if on cue, I heard the unmistakable loud drumming of the pileated woodpecker and then his loud call which sounds like a tropical bird.

Northern Flicker (March 24, 2009)

Just about that time, I saw a Northern Flicker, another very large woodpecker looking for insects on the ground.   He  hopped onto this tree so I could catch him with my camera.

You won't believe it but just as I was the writing this post, the Pileated Woodpecker was on a tree outside my window.  I grabbed the camera and took the following photo---I'm liveblogging spring!


Pileated Woodpecker March 24, 2009

The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest we have, about the size of a crow, 16.5 inches long with a 29" wing span. It requires very mature forests so it is vulnerable to development but seems to be thriving on our land, I think because we leave our  dead trees for all the woodpeckers. 


In this photo, you can see how the Pileated Woodpecker was the inspiration for Woody the Woodpecker character in the cartoon (if you knew that, you are probably as old as me).

Other unmistakable signs of spring are the butterflies. The tiny spring azure and white sulphur butterlifes emerged from cocoons on Sunday and were flying along with the mourning cloak and anglewing butterflies that emerged from hibernation a week ago.  I saw another brownish butterfly but he flew away before I could get a good look at him.


Spring Beauty (March 22, 2009)

On Sunday, I also saw the first spring native wildflower, Spring Beauty. I spotted it only because I was bent over pulling out the multi-flora rose (a much maligned alien shrub). You can see from my photo how small it is and so easily overlooked.  These flowers and lance-shaped leaves emerge from small bulbs that the native Americans collected for food.   

 The sights and sounds of spring are definitely here in the Appalachian mountains.    Too much time on the computer though---I have to go outside on another nice day.