1/29/08 Observations

- A windy mild morning, following a windy and relatively mild night.....not as cold as the last few nights. A weather front is headed our way and we hope for substantial rain.

- The attached photo is the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Though the species is quite common in the wooded areas of southeast Tennessee, getting a quality photo of this magnificent avia has proven to be quite a challenge! It is the largest of the Tennessee woodpeckers, often reaching lengths of 16"-20". I witnessed one on my suet feeder recently but could not get a photo. The one in the photo was so enamored with some item in the crevice of the tree it paid little attention to me. Once the bird did maneuver around the tree, as you may have seen squirrels do, to avoid detection, but it returned to the same spot shortly. The tree, by the way, is the Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa), an oriental species that has become common in the Southland. It is known for its pale blue flowers and clusters of 'fig-like' fruits or husks.

- Deer seemed to be all over the place late yesterday afternoon. I spotted more than 20 from the beginning of our mountain developments to my cabin.