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The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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Everyday there is a faint (some days loud) tapping or knocking on a tree in my yard or just out of view in the nearby woods. The tiny Nuthatch flits about, lands, and taps lightly on acorns to crack the shells it gathers. They and the Blue Jays share that habit. A short series of taps readily breaks the shells. The motion is easy to spot when looking into a tree for the sound.
There is the distinctive “drumming” the Pileated Woodpeckers make when establishing territory and seeking mates. That deep toned sound resonates from my hilltop to the lower country side. When hunting insects, the hammering is short but solid and louder than the other woodpecker species here. You know you’ve heard a big bird when that sound echoes from afar. Then there is the long and loud call that let’s you know he has something for everyone to hear.
Pileated Woodpecker — Dryocopus pileatus
The Red Bellied Woodpecker will choose a limb that trembles in a lighter tone when drumming for a mate. The rapping is longer lived and will taper off in strength toward the end of the session. Their insect probes are short and blunt sounding in comparison. They chatter when in groups with usually happy sounding blasts.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker — Melanerpes carolinus
The Red-Headed Woodpecker hammers when forming nests. The sound is intermittent and a harsh banging to create a hole in the tree (or telephone pole). The Red Heads here use their voices for all other activities such as food finding, alarms and family communications. They are quite the chatter-box type.
Red-Headed Woodpecker — Melanerpes erythtocephalus Adult with juvenile on each side of this tree
The Downy Woodpeckers are the quaint and quiet tappers around my house. They probe trees in short lived bursts where the sound travels less far. These small birds don’t linger in one place if they can’t get immediate results. Alarms about their surroundings are expected.
Downy Woodpecker — Picoides pubescens
I haven’t heard a Common Flicker hammer around my house. They pop in like fighter jets, and dash from tree to ground to tree, often without a sound. If another Flicker arrives, they politely speak to each other then move on.
Common Flicker — Colaples auratus
The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker is a constant hunter that hammers in hard short blasts, moves close by, then hammers again. They are meticulous workers that don’t like interruption and will stay on one tree for a long period until disturbed. Their mating drumming is on hollow limbs and though low toned, is brief in duration.
Adult Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker — Sphyrapicus varius Juvenile
These are observations in my part of Mississippi. In other places with other circumstances, the birds may be louder or quieter. I hope all the outdoor sounds will be pleasing to your ears. Thanks for stopping by and listening.
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What’s up in nature in your area today?
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