Sunday, April 26, 2009

April ATC's and a backyard happening

Here are the ATC's I received in the April swap at Mystic Paper. We had to incorporate a pocket on the ATC and put something in it. Some very clever ladies went to work to create these!This is the saguaro in my back yard. I am not very happy that a Gila woodpecker has decided to deface my saguaro. See the damage near the top?He is digging/pecking a hole in the saguaro and then he puts the bits around the hole. This has been ongoing for well over a month. He is persistant and you can hear him when he comes to the yard to work on the hole.

He also drops bits of the cactus all over the ground below. It looks like chewed tobacco! Yeew! I hope that the monsoon rains this summer will wash all that chewed stuff off of the cactus. He has dug so deep into the cactus that he almost disappears except for about an inch of his tail feathers. I am told this won't harm the cactus. In fact, it is probably a nesting hole for the woodpecker's ladyfriend. After they are done, there is a tiny owl that will nest in it. Perhaps even a cactus wren. I hope so! On the opposite side of the saguaro I noticed buds forming. My cactus will bloom! Yea!!!The buds are small, but they are there. I am excited about it blooming. Perhaps that woodpecker isn't causing harm to the saguaro after all. But I am still not very happy about the damage he has done. That was an expensive cactus!

5 comments:

Susan said...

I hope your cactus isn't damaged! Great ATCs this month.
I gave you a blog award - check it out on my blog.
Susan

eclectic archivist said...

Looks like you got a great selection of ATCs in the swap.

CeCe said...

Poor Cactus. It looks like it hurts, even if it doesn't!

Becky Bunn said...

We have had problems with the woodpeckers before they can do a lot of damage. The ATC's are great. Thanks for your sweet comment
hugs
Becky

Unknown said...

The Saguaro is the natural home of the gila woodpecker. It's not being damaged at all. It's part of the normal life cycle of the saguaro. A callus/skin will form inside the cactus and the bird will live there for awhile. Once it moves out, owls or bats will move in, and so it continues.
M