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Dear Reader,
I hope he's lookin' for love in all the 'right' places. But I'm thinking he might need a little help.
Our old, slowly-dying oak tree has been a home to two yellow-bellied woodpecker families, and if I can get this "single guy" on the right track, who knows, maybe soon I'll hear more babies chirping in the tree.
The yellow-bellied suitor spends most afternoons tap, tap, tapping, calling out for a bride-to-be. "See how strong I am? Whack, whack, whack, my beak against the tree. I'm crazy for you baby." But I haven't seen a female answer his call. Maybe our woodpecker needs to register at a dating site to get things going? This rat-a-tat tapping, could it be that's old school, and the girls just don't fall for that anymore? Or could it be the houses he's offering? There are already two old woodpecker dwellings carved into the tree (because a female won't consider marriage unless she has more than one home to choose from), but I think my guy better start working on a third house. Because the other two dwellings have been there awhile, and that could be another one of his problems.
If he's trying to go cheap and rely on the old apartments, that still have shag carpeting on the floor and lava lamps in the bedroom, they need a remodel. And if there aren't granite countertops in the kitchen, the gal he courts might say that's a deal breaker--kitchens are a very important room of the house--even to woodpeckers.
I'm doing my part to help my guy find a bride. I hung a woodpecker feeder, made for two, in the tree. So when he finds a prospect he can invite his gal out to dinner. A table with a view. The feeder is surrounded by my flower gardens and the squirrels in the trees provide plenty of entertainment chasing each other, jumping from branch to branch. Dinner and a floorshow. Now that ought to get her attention.
I'll keep you posted on the woodpecker's progress, but in the meantime, take a look at this video my husband took of an earlier family who set up housekeeping in the same tree, click here. (Click on "download" if the video doesn't start playing right away.)
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Celebrating 20 years at the Online Book Club!
Get ready to party, starting the week of February 25th!
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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