Where did the woodpeckers go?

Hi, i am asking this question for a friend in Atlanta GA. Everyday for months.. red-bellied and downy woodpeckers would visit her peanut butter and suet feeders, now just the house wrens are dining there, and for the last week or so, not a sign of the woodpecker families ? Are they migratory...is the heat too intense, (was 99 there yesterday). If any of you experienced birders have an opinion, i would be very interested for myself and for my friend. (Am trying to get her to join DG!) thankyou...sue

Hi sue, No Red bellieds are not migratory. They might just be staying put with the heat. Does she have a peanut silo out? It might be too hot and they do not want suet at this time.

Does she have a lot of Starlings or Grackles around right now?

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 4:58 PM

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 5:00 PM

One more thought--the red-bellied WPs are omniverous and like to eat insects and even lizards and nestlings when they are available so they may pass up feeders for these more interesting and available foods during summer months.

I think that's what goes on in our yard... we are loaded with WPs all winter, but in the summer they retreat into the woods for meatier fare and of course the berries and nuts on the shrubs and trees.

Here's the Cornell species account for more info:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker_dtl.html

Same here. No suet in the summer ( for Red bellieds) but mine do come in 2- 3 times a day for the peanut halves in the Peanut Silo.

My Downys do eat suet all summer but not as often when it gets terribly hot.

I LOVE the woodpeckers and am hoping to see the Flickers come onto the new suet feeder this winter.

Ours had been MIA also till the last week. Female would come and go real quick. Today dad showed up with baby. This is our second one for this summer that we have seen.

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 6:59 PM

I'd not want to eat suet on a baking hot day either!! Yukk!!! . . . It's salads weather. ;-)

Suet is a good energy food for when it's cold out. It'll also go off (rancid) more quickly in hot weather. If the birds aren't eating it, take it down, and shove it in the fridge until the weather turns cooler.

Resin

Well, thankyou all! I will impart your information to my friend, i do appreciate all your quick responses! It all makes sense to me! sue

Can't speak for anyone else but I only put out No Melt suet in the warm weather.

Definitely salads for people in summer. I have No appetite for meals when its so hot.

My WP has not come for his cracker for two weeks.

Sue, Please be sure to let us know how things go for her. Thanks! :-)

Hi all. Just now i sat with phone in hand and read my friend all of your responses..she wanted to clarify that what she meant by "suet", is not the meat by product, but one of those prepared peanut-butter products...like all of us she has a lot of squirrels raiding her feeders, so she has the one with chili-pepper condiment in it...the woodpeckers have been feeding all season on it, she also wanted me to tell you that since the gold finches have shown up, that was when the woodpeckers disappeared...maybe the finches are being territorial? Thanks again for your help! sue ps i got her to join DG, so you may be able to speak in person to her!

Weeds... I'm about 20 minutes from Atlanta and I have several nests of downies and red bellied WP's in the woods by my yard.
IT'S BEEN TOO DANG HOT! for them I think. I usually see them really late in the evening if at all.

Hey judy, it's too hot in Fla. too!!! i just stay in the air-conditioning...i can't believe you had 99 degree temps yesterday...my friend says not much rain for you guys either! sue

My red-bellieds are eating the suet even during the summer, which is surprising me.

LOL, Maybe the Florida ones are more accustomed to the heat??

I was just thinking that about some being more accustomed to the heat. My birds feed all summer, light to dark, even when it's 100-110, including the suet, mostly woodpeckers, Titmouse, Chickadees at suet. The Downies have been noticeably absent since early this year but I saw a male this week who visited the tree near the suet but didn't eat any. The RedBellied have been around but haven't been coming in for suet as much as usual in past few weeks.

I have one big concrete pedestal bath that has water, slow stream, in it year round so it stays relatively cool, although in full sun. I just got my copper hanging one back up with drip instead of mist, which none used before, not even the hummers. It's in the shade. They are all using it and loving it.

In winter even Robins come to the concrete bath, and other birds I don't see at feeders, or rarely anywhere on my property. I keep the drip (stream) going except during very hard freezes. I really do think there is something to moving water to draw them in. I see Waxwings only two to four days a year, in the big walnut tree near the deck and loads of them in the bath. Same with Bluebirds. Both habitat this area but I think there is just so much protected old forest, heavy undergrowth, and prairie around for easy feeding that they prefer going "natural".

I've never seen a woodpecker use the birdbath though.

gg=alice

Sounds like a great place alice! (Except for that heat,lol)

Thank goodness for electricity and AC. It is truly remarkable out here, specifically what God and/or Mother Nature has placed here.

Paradise takes a lot of work and time, though, or money if one can't, or chooses to not, do it for themselves. I don't do what little mowing and edging is needed any more. It's just too hilly and rough. I'm letting the woods reclaim 1/2 of the "close to the house" front yard. I don't know why anyone ever put grass there anyway. It's even difficult and dangerous for the professional lawn crew. I planted horse herb there in the late 80's but didn't have them completely stop mowing until this year. I'm going to help it a little by transplanting some young trees I have growing in containers from the acorns buried by squirrels and try to find some rare, native Eastern Dogwoods on my property (We're too far west and alkaline for Eastern Dogwoods but there are some native ones out here that have adapted.) That portion is shaded by an old red oak so young desirable trees might just make it, without the trash trees filling it first, if I help them a little. The hardiest trash tree is the Hackberry. I have lots of them, constantly have to dig them out of beds and containers, they are really messy, and get ugly as they age, but the birds love them. I have to keep a couple, bush size, near the house for the dogs who munch on them daily. One side of the deck is shaded by them. Did I say they are messy trees? AND the birds love them.

gg=alice

Got this pic a couple of weeks ago of the red-bellied Woodpecker at the suet.

Wow, Alice sounds like bird paradise! Great photo Gardenpom..so close!! sue

That is a nice pic! Great job GP!

Thanks everyone!

HI SUE! I managed to get logged on to Daves site ..and located you and the respones. Thanks to you and all the responders for the efforts. I was reading that Goldfinch nest late in the summer and when they do they are territorial. Perhaps that is why Im not seeing the woodpeckers. I wonder if anyone else in the Atlanta area is having the same observation . I do have a creek out back and the Chattahoochee River is down the street for whatever that may mean to anyone . The woodpeckers really seemed to go for the peanut butter and the mixed seed (by Coles ) I put out ...Im thinking I may move the peanut butter away from the seed feeders and see if i get them back...!? Sue

Hey! Let's welcome my friend, Sue, who is the true originator of this whole thread!!! Welcome, Ms. Sue! Now you will have all the expert advice of members of DG! Welcome to DG, i hope you like Dave's Garden, as much as i do!! see ya around, lady! sue

Me again sue! Go to the thread in this "Bird Watching forum" called "New to Bird Feeding", alot of great info. on our foe the "squirrel", plus Pelletory posted a wonderful photo of a woodpecker eating at the "Peanut Tower". Bye again! sue

Welcome to the forum Sue!

Many thanks to my old and new friends . And I check that other thread out. You know My Smithsonian handbook states the Downey and the Redbelly woodpeckers may nest 2 or more times in the south...so maybe they are making babies ! Oh boy!

Hi, sue--welcome to DG. Now that you have brought up 'babies', you will have to keep us posted on what you find out!

For sure tabasco !

I know this year we have a new set of babies with acorn woodpeckers. That didn't happen last year, for whatever reason, but this year there are a whole new bunch just now getting out of the nest and coming down to the birdbath and checking out the peanuts. I wonder what the difference between last summer and this is?

It could be a number of different reasons . Can't wait to see the young ones!

I only saw 1 Red bellied fledgling when his papa brought him over to the suet feeder in the apple tree. No chance for a pic but I was thrilled to see him.

ROTFL!! I just had to bring this one up again because its been well over a week since I've seen my RBW's come to the peanut feeders. I know their still here because when I step outside at night I can hear them calling back & forth to one another. :-)

Thanks Pelletory ! Ive been away for a little over a week ..home about 3 days... still no woodys ...You know I dont know Ive ever heard them.... Ill have to go to The Fernbank Natural history site to see it they have a recording. Also I think Ill give them a call and see If I can talk to one of the Naturalists there. They have a large park around the museum that is shelter to many of the birds in the Atlanta area..sort of old forest area. Im so worried a hawk has taken them out. Anyway thanks for your comments ...It will make me feel so much better if I can hear them.

Hi Tom, I love their call. Many times when they would regularly come to the feeder they call out before arriving just as if they were trying to give some birds a heads up to their arrival.

On this page theres a recording of their sounds (just below the map).

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker.html#fig1

Thanks again pelletory ! Enjoyed listen to the red breast woody and also listen to the downey.. I noticed many birds give calls before showing at the feeders. I just realized your in NJ. I just returned from Ridgewood and Midland Park (North Jersey) Im from NY...originally over 30 years ago ...I forget how beautifull NJ & NY.are. . Lush and green ! Ill do another message if I find out whats going on here..or if my woodys return.