Our Friend Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson has been a friend of Duncraft for a long time—and some of his photographs have been seen in our mail order catalogs over the years. When Sam isn’t photographing for us, he’s enjoying his birds and frequently sends us interesting pictures.
Recently, Sam wrote, as he frequently does, to Michael Dunn, CEO and owner of Duncraft. Here is his note:
Mike........ As I write, there is a male Gila on my hummer feeder. They love the sweet nectar. The hummer's get really upset when they do that. They dart real close to them, in an attempt to chase them off. On some feeders I need to scoot them off, because their weight will spill the nectar, but they are never-the-less a most unlikely hummer. Sam
Here’s the image Sam sent along:
Well, we are embarrassed to admit it, but a lot of us here didn’t know what a Gila was—we had to look it up! Being located in New Hampshire, we sure know a lot about Eastern birds, but we needed an education about Gilas. It did look like our Northern Flickers, so that gave us a clue that it was a woodpecker. We learned that Gilas are found in southern Arizona, and western Mexico. They eat seeds, insects, fruit and lizards—and of course, hummingbird nectar! And they excavate nesting cavities in a saguaro cactus or a tree. An interesting fact is that when they make their cavity in a cactus, they have to let it dry for several months while it creates a solid, dry casing inside. You really do learn something new everyday!
Thanks, Sam, for sending this cool image!
- Posted at Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:26 PM
- In Wild Bird Feeding Category | Permalink
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Where was the picture taken, not in NH I hope.
Posted by Alton on Monday, October 27, 2008 08:28 AM
Gilas are found in southern Arizona and that's where this picture was taken.
Posted by Duncraft on Monday, October 27, 2008 10:04 AM
Now that is a sight I never thought I would see! The Gila closely resembles our Eastern red-bellied woodpecker, but I have never seen it on a hummer feeder!
Posted by Veronica on Monday, October 27, 2008 06:36 PM
A Gila woodpecker on a Saguaro cactus is pictured in your recent "Enjoy woodpeckers!" blog posting. This photo, however, is amazing.
Posted by Liz on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:23 PM
I had one of these birds in my feeder this summer in Connecticut, and had no idea what it was- Thank you for the information and solving the mystery.
Posted by Robin on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 06:44 AM
I wonder if the red-bellies would eat nectar also? Has anyone ever seen on do that?
Posted by Nancy M on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:10 AM
I wonder if red-bellies would eat nectar also? Has anyone ever seen one do that?
Posted by Nancy M on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:11 AM