My bird identification books say the pileateds DO live in northern Indiana --- they are "Uncommon; a wary bird of extensive decidious or mixed forests." er..... I think they want to live out in the woods.
We saw them swooping around but it was years before they came into the suet feeders and, my goodness, they are WARY.

thanks for the info Wren....I am just so impressed by the size of them! Are the other birds afraid of them? Probably Cooper's barking would keep them out. I need to get outside and water the dang grass seed.

LMAO! Well, I've seen people bang pots and pans together to no avail. Every year we are inundated in this town with grackles. They were so bad in the old, newly renovated downtown Main Street, that store owners were standing outside banging pots and pans. Then the local police got into it and would shoot into the air, ALL to no avail.

During the day they all head for the cornfields, and then later in the day descenc on the town in herds, LOL.

No offense taken KellSis. Those things are scarey. I almost bought one 1 year when they were cheaper. I noticed their prices have gone way up so they must have 1) become more popular so they upped the price; 2) don't sell well and they need more money; 3) the White House invested in grackle and crow stock and are fueling the economy. LMAO.

And I am SO RELIEVED Ms. Alpo wrote down her recipe again this year so I didn't have to ask her, again this year, how to make that stuff.