We have a short break between pork processing steps so I thought I would post something short and sweet. Introducing our woodpeckers! Click to enlarge my photos.
This red bellied woodpecker is a regular at our feeding station. Although their heads are the first thing you notice, there is a spot of reddish color on their belly, hence the name. You can't see it very well when they are feeding but look closely next time and you can see it's sort of pinkish. They hang on with their feet and swing back and forth, darting away when some other little bird decides it's his turn. They rest on one of the trees, hopping here and there, until they reclaim the feeder.
Here is an internet photo
He is one of several woodpecker varieties that visit. We also have a pileated woodpecker, the one with the big feathery red head, that visits. I suppose this is what Woody Woodpecker is. I have not seen it at the feeder but it's apparently pretty funny. It's so large that it overwhelms the suet feeder.
We also have pretty little downy woodpeckers. The little guy below is not one of my photos- you can find a link beneath the photo. We hear their tap, tap, tapping all through the woods.
I like to take my lounger and move it near the feeder, keeping very still. They will disregard you at some point and you can enjoy seeing all the different varieties at close range. Sometimes the cat joins me but I keep a real tight grip on her!
Downy woodpecker image and sound
Pileated Woodpecker call
link to red bellied
8 comments:
I'm glad you are enjoying your woodpeckers! We are NOT enjoying the one that decided to peck the wire out of the bird block board in the eaves of Jerry's workshop and take up residence! Grrr!
Your woodpeckers are so pretty. We had one once, but he kept pecking on the side of my house and wouldn't touch the feeders. He was not as pretty as yours.
We have an issue with one of them that wants in our chimney. My husband got a boat air horn and blew it up there so it would fly away. I don't know how long it will stay away though,
That looks like a huge woodpecker in that first photo. We have a woodpecker in the neighborhood. I've caught sight of him a few times. He's cute but no where as big as that one.
And this is small compared to pileated ones. They have a funny cry and I think I hear them predawn looking for the suet. I have to take it in at night or the raccoon climbs up the deck and steals food.
I like woodpeckers, but I still say that if you feed the birds, they won't bother eating the spiders and mosquitoes, and if you live off a lake you know what a pain spider webs can be. So the trick may be to have just enough food to draw them in, but not enough to make them full.
Don't try the low cal bread though. I had some of that 35 calorie per slice stuff and decided it wasn't fit for human consumption, so I tossed it out front to the birds. When I came out the next day they had eaten only the white middle section and left the crust (which is even less tasty), so I have all these rings of crusts still laying on the front lawn. Birds ain't so dumb.
LOL--I'm sure your neighbors are loving it. Wow, you'd think a stray dog or something would eat them.
Hey, they were gone this morning after having sat for two days. A possum probably got them. They'll eat anything.
Post a Comment