[Magdalen] Odd patrons at local eatery

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/31/2016 6:15:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
gracecan at gmail.com writes:

I've had  a Pileated hanging around near the house  >>>>>>>>>>
 
We are seeing them less frequently than, say, twenty years ago.
This is because the aspen trees that were pioneers here after the
clear-cutting of the hardwoods for mining timbers have gradually
died and disappeared from the woody flora.  While the aspens  were
dead and dying, the Pileated woodpeckers had a field day and were
a common sight here.
 
The aspens have been replaced with some beech, maple, and oaks
of several varieties, and they don't have dead wood for the birds.
There're also hemlock and White Pine.
 
Since the house is clothed in T-111 (wood) we have had some
trouble with the Downey Woodpeckers, but they've been better since
the house was repainted.  I guess the paint discourages bugs in  the
siding, and the newly painted siding tastes bad for the woodpeckers.
 
 
 
David Strang.