Pileated Peckers

When the hairy, downy, and red bellied woodpeckers peck at the suet feeder, they take small bites and don't spill much.  Chickadees eat suet too but are polite and neat about it. When the pileated woodpeckers eat suet, they leave crumbs of suet all over the place.  There is a big mess when they are finished.  Although fascinating to watch, pileateds are messy as heck. And when they peck, they don't just worry one corner or one section.  They peck in such a way to separate a big chunk of fat from the rest of the supply.  They're trying to tear off a hunk and fly away with it.  Mrs. Pileated was here this afternoon and she pulled the remaining wad of suet clear out of the feeder and dropped it on the deck.  She continued to stare at the empty suet feeder for a couple minutes.  Maybe she thought it would reappear.  She turned her head so her eye looked down at the floor of the deck where the suet lay. She backed up and clung on the far side of the deck railing.  She lowered herself down the vertical deck railing jerkily like a car being lowered with a jack.  When she got to the floor level, she squeezed between the railings and stepped onto the deck.  She pecked at the suet some more and threw it between the railings, off the deck, and into the grass.  Then she ate some of the suet crumbs left there earlier before flying away.  Messy birds.  They're not getting any more suet until tomorrow.