Old Mouser and Woodpeckers

While I'm mulling over what to stitch next, let's take a look at a Stitch From the Past.

Design - "Old Mouser"
Designer - Hog River
Fabric - 28 count Hwy 66 R & R linen 
Fibers - GAST - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 5 April 1999
Completed - 17 April 2009

Nope, not a typo!  I started this stitch and then it sat idle for years before I brought it back out again and finished it.  


The sentiment and the cat make a nice memorial for our Tom-Cat who loved to hunt by the light of the moon.

I haven't posted about my woodpeckers in a while.  So a warning - I've had lots of good sightings recently thus this is a picture heavy post.

First up I was super excited to have a pair of Downy Woodpeckers come to the backyard feeders. The male is on the far left, the female on the far right/  

Male Downy

Female Downy

Since that sighting the female has shown up several times.

She's such a sweet little thing.

I have had a male Hairy Woodpecker too.

He was less than thrilled to share this feeder with a Scrub Jay.

Here he is again.

A female Hairy is also a regular visitor.

Here she is checking out the deer fence!  

As Red-breasted Sapsuckers do not come to the feeders, seeing them in the trees nearby is a present from Nature.

This one came in fairly close.

But this one came to the berm - really close! 

If one Sapsucker is good... 

...then two are great!

Right?!

Which must make three birds outstanding!

The Acorn Woodpecker couple is hanging out together.

Here's the guy.

Here's the gal.

They are eating me out of house and home!

Look at the size of the bites they are taking to their granary!

Yeah, I'm talking about you two!

I have seen as many as four Red-shafted Northern Flickers.

IT certainly is not uncommon to see two birds.

Both guys in this case.

The red mustache is the tell-tale sign.

The two guys were bobbing heads and chatting.

Far away on a foggy day, I heard a Pileated Woodpecker.

See the dead tree top in the back - middle right of the photo?

Here's how good the zoom on my camera is. There were two Pileated Woodpeckers in the tree! 

The fog rolled in and the birds 'disappeared'.

I have been rewarded with several close ups of Pileated Woodpeckers. 

This bird flew into a tree by my sister's dahlia garden one evening while I was helping her to water her plants.

On another day, the bird came quite close to the house.

I wish it had been a sunny morning.

The bright red would 'pop' even more in the sunlight.

Look at how the strong tail feathers provide a prop and help the bird to balance.  

Quite a successful few days in Woodpecker Wonderland!