I’ve always liked woodpeckers, but before I moved into a cabin built hard against the trees in a woodland, I didn’t realize just how remarkable they are. Sharing my meals with the downy and hairy woodpeckers right outside the window, and working at a desk where I could see their day-to-day routines, has given me a new appreciation of their personalities and abilities.

Woodpeckers are beautiful birds, especially the huge pileated woodpeckers, with their almost prehistoric appearance. Here are three photos our photographer Tony Jancek took of a male in his back yard:

 

 

 

 
Pileated woodpeckers are about 18-inches from tail to topknot, and they pound rectangular holes in trees to reach the grubs burrowed deep inside. Here’s an old pine which has been completely drilled through from both sides by pileated woodpeckers:

 

 
Woodpeckers live year-round here in the north woods. As you walk through the winter woods, you might hear them tapping or pounding on trees as they search for a meal. Downy woodpeckers are smaller versions of the hairy woodpeckers, and the two species share the same habitat as the pileated. Downies may be the smallest woodpeckers on the continent, but they’re scrappy, and they can maneuver into smaller places than the other three. Hairies are about the size of jays, and can dig a bit deeper than downies. Both visit the suet cages outside my window, and both will eat the birdseed and pound on the stumps set out for them.

 

 
The downy (a female—no red patch on the back of her head) is on the left and a hairy (not sure if it’s a male or female) is on the other side of the tree on the right. Woodpeckers are devoted parents, with both parents feeding the offspring and patiently showing them how to hunt for grubs or visit the suet block.

 

 
Here a young male hairy (you can just see the red patch on his forehead—as he matures the red shifts to the back of his head) is fed fat by his father.

Woodpeckers use their tongues to lick suet that has melted to the sides of the suet cage, and to maneuver large seeds and corn around in their beaks:

 

 
They use their strong tails to brace themselves against trunks and branches, and as a counterbalance when pounding. Woodpeckers can also rotate their heads much of the way around their necks in order to look for predators. If one is seen, the woodpecker either remains perfectly still or will rotate round a branch or trunk to put the tree between them and their enemy.

The resident woodpeckers have pounded customized holes into the sides of a stump that serves as a bird table, and will select a sunflower seed, put it in one of the holes depending on the seed’s size and shape, and then pound the husk until they can reach the tender meat inside, which they extract with their beaks and tongues. Who says animals can’t use tools? To the woodpeckers, that particular stump is as much a tool as an anvil is to an ironmonger.

 

 
The woodpecker has fluffy feathers around the nostrils and eyes, perhaps to warm the cold air as they breathe, and to protect their noses and eyes from flying chips of wood. Their beauty, ingenuity, and parental devotion make woodpeckers among my favorite birds, and I never fail to enjoy their company.

 

 
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Brazilian cyclist Marcos Netto spent a couple weeks in Germany during October of this year, and returned home with a large collection of photos and new impressions of German cycling to pass on to Outside Up North readers. His first article in this series featured a small German bike shop, his second article was a visit to a medium-sized bike shop, while his third described German cycling infrastructure and the views of Germans to cycling. In this, his last article about his trip, he discusses the bicycles Germans use. Read on…

A tradução em português do artigo do Marcos está ao final do texto em inglês.

 
After talking about the bike shops and cycloways of Germany, it’s time to take a closer look on the bicycles we actually see in the streets. Some of them are well-known models. Others I have never seen before. Most interesting of all is that their styles are quite different from what I have been used to seeing in Brazil. I guess this is due to cultural differences between the two countries, specifically in the way bikes are ridden everyday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
We can see bikes all over the place. They are everywhere and show up at the most unexpected moment. Whether you are outside or inside a trade fair—the workers use the two-wheeled vehicle to move faster indoors!—people get around by bikes even when the weather is not very pleasant. In the streets you can find bike stands where you can lock your bike. though many places have bike parking lots.

There is also a curious aspect of bike security. Myth: In a developed country like Germany, people leave their bikes unattended because nobody steals bikes. Fact: Everybody locks up their bikes everywhere, because if one does not do so, the bike will be gone. Even with the use of good locks, every once in a while parts disappear…

 

 
More than being leisure equipment, in Germany bikes are considered a form of transportation. Commuting from home to school or work is done in a safe and comfortable way. That said, it’s easy to understand why bikes have long stems, wide and high handlebars, and huge leather saddles with springs. They sure look like old-fashioned retro style rides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Many of the bikes sport accessories to make the cyclist’s life easier. A not-so conventional handlebar means longer rides with less discomfort. The cargo rack has a built-in case. The baby seat is a true “survival cell” (as seen in the F1 racing cars) that guarantee the safety of the little one in case of a crash.

 

 

 

 
And speaking about comfort…

 

 

 
People carry bikes all the time, and it is very common to see people put bikes in their cars, then drive to and park near a train station, then load the bike onto the train to travel to some distant destination. Trains are prepared to transport bikes, thus making it possible for the cyclist to travel a long distance quickly and easily, with considerable thrift in financial terms as well as for natural resources.

Once at the destination, the cyclist leaves the train and starts riding immediately.

 

 

 

 
Speaking of train stations, in the city of Köln (and, I believe, in some other cities) tourists and local residents can rent bikes simply and easily. One just needs to place a cash or credit card deposit and the bike is ready to use. The bikes are customized for this. They can be parked and locked anywhere. I did not have a chance to ride one but I guess the system uses some sort of “electronic locking system” in addition to the huge chain and padlock fixed to the frameset. Do you suppose the bikes have a microchip and can be tracked by satellite, maybe even locked remotely?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Someone once said: “Good humor is fundamental”. So I found at my favorite place in Germany, located over the banks of the Rhine in Düsseldorf. There they plant trees, and bikes grow alongside them!

 

 

 
Seriously, it is another place where cycling has its place, whether for utility or for recreation.

 

 
This is located in Alstad (Old City) in Düsseldorf, famous for its architectural district and (even better!) its 300 bars, breweries and restaurants side-by-side. People get there on bikes, which get to rest safe and sound in the shade of trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
To finish this article I chose an image that demonstrates the feeling the Germans have for cycling. At Gerolstein, a city known for its mineral water, I came across a monument downtown. It’s a statue of a cyclist with the colors of the famous Gerolsteiner Cycling Team sponsored by the mineral water company, a tribute to the bike and to the cyclists that gave the city worldwide attention. Maybe one day we will have something like this here in Brazil.

 

 
I hope everybody has enjoyed my reports about German cycling, and thanks for coming along! Marcos Netto Twitter: marcosnetto

 
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Alemães e Suas Bicicletas

 
Como quarto e último artigo da série sobre minha viagem a Alemanha.

Depois de falar sobre as lojas e as ciclovias, vamos comentar sobre as bicicletas que encontramos pelas ruas.

Algumas delas são modelos conhecidos. Outras eu nunca havia visto em lugar algum. O mais interessante é que o estilo das bikes é bem diferente do que estamos tradicionalmente acostumados a ver aqui no Brasil, devido a diferenças culturais e de uso das magrelas no dia a dia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Encontramos bicicletas por todos os lugares. Elas estão presentes sempre e onde menos se espera lá existe uma bike. Quer seja dentro de um pavilhão de feira, onde os funcionários usam por causa do tamanho do lugar, quer seja na rua. Mesmo em dias de chuva ou tempo ruim, as pessoas utilizam as bikes. Muitos locais tem bicicletários; mas nas ruas já existem suportes específicos para colocação de ancoragem de bicicletas.

Aliás, essa história de que “em país de primeiro mundo não existem furtos de bikes” é balela. Todas as bikes que vi sozinhas pelas ruas estavam devidamente amarradas e cadeadas. Claro que se a bike for deixada por muito tempo sozinha, algumas peças correm o risco de sumir da magrela…

 

 
Mais do que um equipamento de lazer, as bikes na Alemanha são consideradas um meio de transporte. O deslocamento de casa para a escola ou local de trabalho deve ser feito de forma segura e confortável. Por isso as bicicletas de rua tem esse jeitão “retrô”, com espigas longas, guidão alto, selim largo e confortável feito em couro e com molas gigantes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Muitas delas tem acessórios para facilitar a vida do ciclista. Um guidão deferente significa conforto em longas pedaladas; o bagageiro já pode ter uma cesta para transporte de objetos; a cadeirinha de criança é uma verdadeira “célula de sobrevivência” (como nos carros da F1) para garantir a segurança de crianças em caso de queda ou acidentes.

 

 

 

 
E falando em conforto…

 

 

 
As bikes acompanham sempre as pessoas. É comum o pessoal colocar as bikes nos carros, dirigir-se e estacionar ao lado de uma estação de trem, retirar a bike do veículo e com ela tomar o trem rumo a outro lugar. Os vagões são preparados para receber e transportar bikes, facilitando a vida do ciclista. Este pode deslocar-se rapidamente por longas distâncias com economia e segurança, utilizando a bike no local de seu destino.

 

 

 

 
E falando em estação de trem, na cidade de Colônia (parece-me que existem outras com esta facilidade) o turista ou o morador podem efetuar o aluguel de bicicletas de forma simples e prática. Basta um depósito e/ou cartão de crédito e as bikes são liberadas para o uso. As bicicletas são preparadas para esta finalidade, podendo ser estacionadas e amarradas facilmente em qualquer lugar. Não pude experimentar uma delas, mas desconfio que o sistema use algum tipo de “trava eletrônica” além do correntão e cadeado afixado ao quadro. Eu poderia apostar que as bikes tem um chip e são rastreadas por satélite, e podem ser travadas remotamente… (risos!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
E continuando na pauta do bom humor, descobri meu lugar favorito na Alemanha: na beira do Rio Reno existe um lugar onde planta-se árvores (plátanos) e nascem bikes junto com as árvores…

 

 

 
Trata-se na verdade de mais um local onde as bikes desfrutam de amplo espaço, tanto para o lazer quanto para o transporte.

 

 
O local fica em “alstad” (cidade velha) de Düsseldorf, famoso por suas construções antigas e por seus 300 bares e restaurantes lado a lado nas ruas. As pessoas deslocam-se para lá a trabalho deixando as bikes seguras e em uma bela sombra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
E para encerrar esta série deixo aqui uma imagem que para mim demonstra bem o que os Alemães sentem pelas bikes e pelo ciclismo.

Ao visitar Gerolstein, município conhecido pela sua água mineral, encontrei no centro da cidade uma pracinha com uma estátua de um ciclista de estrada, nas cores da conhecida equipe Gerolsteiner. Trata-se uma homenagem local à bicicleta e ao ciclista, que tornou a cidade conhecida internacionalmente. Quem sabe algum dia teremos algo semelhante por aqui.

 

 
Espero que todos tenham apreciado estes relatos. Um abraço e até a próxima! Marcos Netto Twitter: marcosnetto

 
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A colorful Italian cycling cap decorates a bike suspended on a rack.

 

 
We love our bikes and everything that goes with them, right? And we never tire of looking at them. At least I don’t, and if I’m to judge from what others tell me, I’m not alone. So each Sunday I’ll publish a bike related picture. Most of the time the picture will be a photo, but I’ll also include drawings, paintings, sculptures, and any other representation of a bike or bike stuff. If you have one you’d like to contribute to the gallery, just email your picture(s) to me.

 
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