We have had Pileated Woodpeckers in our 15 acre woods occasionally, but they don't nest here. They do drill huge long holes in some dead trees. We have lived here 3 years and never had any success attracting them to the suet. Then this last winter the female found the beef suet on a tree and later brought her mate. I have one photo with both of them on it! I am not sure how to post on here. Then when it warmed up and the suet started to melt, I took it down and replaced it with peanut butter/lard suet. The squirrels found that right away and scarfed it up. I'll put beef suet out again this winter for the PW.

Wow, how exciting! They are beautiful birds, but somewhat camera-shy, as you know!
We don't have pileated, but we do have a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers that are nesting somewhere near. They come to snack on our sunflower seeds and poke around on a hackberry stump to see if there is anything interesting. Woodlandgal, we have had luck with the suet cakes from Walmart--I believe they cost about $1 each. They don't melt--even in our Texas heat when we hang them from a tree branch (a little shade doesn't hurt).

I'll have to give those beef suets a try. I usually don't feed the birds because we have cats and I hate to attract the birds too low to the ground. My hummingbird feeder is on a pulley system! Anyway, we do have a few dead trees so they are probably attracted to them. And our pines are just now beginning to look like a 'forest'. Would love it if a female showed up. :) DH has always said he has seen them around here, but I never believed him until I saw that one myself! lol Would love to see your picture. Wish I knew how to post so I could tell you how to do it. Something about photobucket...

marlingardener, I use plain beef suet from the butcher shop in the winter plus peanut butter/lard mix that I make. Beef suet melts over 70º and gets on the birds' feathers. When it gets really hot the PB/lard mix sometimes stinks a little, but it doesn't melt.
I am going to try posting the pic. I'm not sure if this is how it's done here. It was a very dark and dreary day when both the Pileated's were here. The pic isn't very clear. The female is at the beef suet.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj291/woodlandgal_photos/PIWPPair.jpg

woodlandgal - thanks for posting the picture! I wish we could have taken a picture - but he wouldn't stay still. I'm hoping I get to see him again soon! It's incredible that you got to take the picture of the two together.

I just saw one in my backyard. It's the first one I've seen since I moved back to Florida nearly a year ago. Always a thrill. Also, we went out to dinner the other night and saw a smaller bird chasing a bald eagle right over the restaurant.

Holley G, what part of the country are you in?

I'm in East Texas - a couple hours away from Dallas.
It's my understanding that they are less scarce now than they used to be? I just know that I personally had never seen one until now. Hope I see it again this summer!