Woodpecker courtship

They are amazing. I am assuming this is a courtship dance, even though I cannot see a red head on the one. JB's seen them do this dance on the lawn.


Woodpecker dance from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Do you remember the yellow-bellied sapsucker on the satellite dish? The males tap on the metal to attract a female. That was a funny video. Well, I came across him, again, down in the forest.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is what the sapsucker does!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker & birthday

We have a pair courting! The mate was on another branch. I've been seeing them more often. Soon, I'll have to put the feeders away.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Yellow-belled Sapsuckers perch upright on trees, leaning on their tails like other woodpeckers. They feed at sapwells—neat rows of shallow holes they drill in tree bark. They lap up the sugary sap along with any insects that may get caught there. Sapsuckers drum on trees and metal objects in a distinctive stuttering pattern.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

In the meantime, Friday PD Day, Caitlin took the girls to one of my favourite spots, Stoney Swamp Conservation Area. We used to live near there, and we'd go often. Now she takes the girls! They found a garter snake.

Garter snake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They visited this weekend, and we did Izzy's birthday. I made a Cockeyed Cake, from the I Hate To Cook Book (1960), by Peg Bracken. I made it in a round pan. Grampa can eat this, no dairy, yeast, or eggs! Grampa and Jos were in charge of putting the candles on.

Josee and I took a trek down to the 'meadow', which is more of a pond, with all our rain.