I have been stalking a bird. He is really skittish..he is a real looker. He has been around at least a month..maybe more.
He is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker. He visits the suet feeders..he is gone as soon as you open the door. He can tell when I am in the house. He is not afraid of Chance..just me.
So far this is my best shot. I will keep pursuing him..it is good to have goals. I had to wait outside a really long time to get one clear shot of him..This is a male..I know how to tell the difference..a female only has red at the nape of her neck, whereas the male has red on his head and down his nape. Checking with the bird book..he seems to be a bit more north than usual. Not sure why he is called a Red-Bellied Woodpecker..most likely because Red-Headed Woodpecker was already taken and they had to call him something.
This is a little Downy Woodpecker.
We have a flock of them. I can tell it is a Downy Woodpecker because he has bands of black in his outer side tail feathers and a shorter beak than his close relative the Hairy Woodpecker.
Far Guy and I both enjoy watching the birds. I can almost predict the weather by the bird activity..the day before the weather changes the feeders are busy all day long. Some how they know that they have to bulk up and weather a storm. Birds are smarter than we think..what kind of Bed and Breakfast could you find where the people welcome you and put out food for you free of charge everyday?
Today is the last day of November. I cannot say I am sad to put the grey days of November behind me but I am not ready for December to begin either:(
I haven't put up bird feeders since I moved, but I had both downy and hairy woodpeckers, along with flickers at my feeder. They are being fed by a kind neighbor a couple of apartments away, so I still get to see and hear them. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe miss watching the birds in the woods at our last house. The woodpeckers were always a joy to see. About all we have here in the tree-less subdivision are mockingbirds. Hope you guys enjoy the weekend. John began insulin and prednisone yesterday and is feeling better today.
ReplyDeleteI too have a very elusive Red Bellied Woodpecker. I only see him once in a great while. I only have one feeder out now and it will stay out all winter. It is the only one I can shovel a path too to refill when there is snow on the ground. I am so not ready for December.
ReplyDeleteThe males sometimes have a tinge of reddish orange on their breast feathers. We have these at our feeders in front of our window in D.L. We had some beautiful pine grosbeaks stop for some apples this week. Linda
ReplyDeleteGreat photos ! We have them here as well , I to love watching them at the feeders . The Red bellied wood pecker here I named Charlie and he waits for me every morning to fill the peanut bowl up . Our Norther flickers migrate as they eat bugs . Blue jays are pigs but I like watching them and we have Sparrows of all kinds , Junco, Chickadee's both breeds of Nuthatch, Cardinals and oh so many more , I just love them all.I have 5 wild and sun flower seed feeders , two suet's , one flat feeder and a bowl for them . Nature is awesome ! Have a wonderful day watching the birdies !
ReplyDeleteOh, that first shot is stunning!
ReplyDeleteWE have lots and lots of snow here - so I'm in the festive spirit at last.
You did good with that shot and keep stalking him, you'll get a good full on soon I am sure! He's really cool looking. Meanwhile my downy is the one that keeps messing with me.
ReplyDeleteMy suet feeder lays on the roof of my house where a squirrel carried it last winter. I will work on that one and may will buy some suet soon. I like seeing the woodpeckers in town as they are very allusive all summer. One can hear them but not see them. We have both kinds of woodpeckers on a good year but the red bellied one isn't that frequent to the feeder.
ReplyDeleteWe have had a flicker stalking the area where we hung the suet feeder last year. I guess he is trying to tell us something! Better go and get some suet and get the feeder up for the pretty fellow!
ReplyDeleteJust think of the days when people relied on the animals to predict the weather.
I've never seen this type of woodpecker before. I remember the redheaded woodpecker pounding on the farm house before the aluminum siding was installed.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I noticed a woodpecker in my yard, but I didn't get my book out to identify him.
Keep stalking with your camera. I know you will get another photo or two of your prey.
And soon the new year will be here.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
I also watch and feed birds. You are so right about birds feeding up before nasty weather. I don't know your bird. It looks like a flicker by the shape and coloring but with out seeing the front it's hard to tell.
ReplyDeleteHello, wonderful pictures, I also love bird watching and feeding them......enjoyable......Blessings Francine.
ReplyDeleteI have had the red bellied woodpecker here for a couple of years. At first they were really skittish, but now they don't seem to bother if we're around or not. Last year we had the red bellied take a seed at a time, fly away to store it, then come back for another. He did this from sun up to sun down. I have not seen this behavior this year. Hope they know we're going to AZ in Jan, and the food supply will be gone!!
ReplyDeleteLove the shots of both kinds because woodpeckers are just plain cool! Love flickers, too, but they don't dress as sharply--LOL! December--where did this year go? :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a topic which is close to my heart...
ReplyDeleteBest wishes! Exactly where are your contact details though?
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I've seen the red belly on the red-bellied woodpecker twice in my life, both times from the Brukner Nature Center Vista Room. As the birds swooped straight toward the feeder in front of me I could see streaks of red between their legs. It looks as though someone caught them on the breast with a stroke of a paint brush. Whoever named the bird must have watched them for a long time and also have been desperate to come up with a unique name.
ReplyDeleteWoodpeckers are the most interesting birds around here these days, too. One red-bellied guy shows up for the briefest moment at the feeders, then quickly moves up the trunk of the tree, usually just out of sight of my camera. Two male downies chase each other from the suet feeder, and for a few days they were chasing females, too--their own partner or one another's I don't know. You are getting wonderful clear photos, and your willingness to get out and stalk the birds will get you great rewards. But keep your fingers and toes warm!
ReplyDeleteGreat shot!
ReplyDeleteYou are so smart when it comes to birds and plants! I had a woodpecker outside ont he porch siding which is Cedar. He finally gave up as between the Cedar and Terminex there were no bugs to be found but he had no red on him at all.
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