The sun was out today,
and the Red-bellied Woodpeckers were very frequent visitors at the food bowls. There are several individuals around but especially this male always sticks out because of the “line” on his forehead (he is in the second and third photo). The female is a beauty as well with her big blue-grey forehead. I love that these guys are hanging around, especially since I do not put suet out (I don’t like how bonkers the Starlings get over it and the woodpeckers always came regardless).
There is a leucistic Junco around,
and Birdsy has captured it on video (you can watch on my Youtube and my social mediachannels, video uploads are always a bit of a pain here) but so far I was not lucky with photos. I have set a camera on the ground in the thicket for that, and even if it did not lure in the Junco yet, it has still gotten some visitors. It almost feels like the birds need to learn to not be shy with my cameras again, it’s been so long since a Downy has visited. The Cardinal is one of several that are hanging around.
When it comes to Red-bellied Woodpeckers,
I noticed that for some reason, I see the females more in the warm season and the males more often during colder weather. I loved how the wetness showed more of the textures and colors on this one, plus, you can see a bit of the name-giving characteristic, the reddish belly. Interestingly enough, they very rarely visit the tree cam whereas the Downy Woodpeckers love it there.
Winter is back,
this time with an ice storm that covered everything in frozen magic over night. I find it beautiful and fascinating but I am also aware that it can be hazardous. Nevertheless, I was excited to venture out this morning with the big cam to explore everything (because this does not happen often). Here are some of the trees, and a frosted feeder, as well as a hilarious food fight at the high in demand tree cam.
The pretty Redbellied Woodpecker
is a regular now, and I am still wondering if it is a male or a female. With this species, the females have a greyish forehead, followed by red, the males have an all red forehead and cap. This one kind of has both. I guess in the end it does not matter. It is a beauty to behold, and I always get a kick out of having individual birds that I somehow recognize.
There are two woodpecker species
visiting Michigan backyards that can be hard to tell apart, the Downy and the Hairy Woodpecker. They look very similar from afar, and if you don’t see them next to each other, identification can be really tough. I have both visiting, and this week, they both came to the camera too. Both are females, having no red spot on the head. Apart from the size difference, the length of their beaks is a great ID marker. The Hairy Woodpecker in the second photo has a much longer beak. (I know the Hairy photo is not super focused but it showed the beak so well that I decided to use it.) As a bonus, there is a pretty Redbellied Woodpecker from a foggy morning.
The light is changing,
the evenings are getting cooler, and there is still not much going on bird-wise. Yesterday I saw the Bluebirds, which was wonderful because it’s been quite a while. At least two Redbreasted Nuthatches have emerged and are competing with the Chickadees for material that is worthy to cache for the winter. I like the light at this time of the year because it feels less harsh. Here are some of the current regulars, look at that Woodpecker, all nice and pretty again! Have a great Tuesday.
The Redbellied Woodpeckers
seem to have more than one youngster. I have noticed a second one that has a stronger marking on the forehead. I decided to call them Canado and Canada because the red patch looks a bit like a Maple leaf. Canado is the one with the larger red patch, and he also has more streaks on the chest. I have no idea though if it is actually a male, time will tell. Canada is in pic 1, Canado in the other two.
The young Red-bellied Woodpecker
appears to have figured out the camera feeder and is taking lots of mug shots, much to my delight because I think it looks beautiful. It is still looking a bit like a black and white copy of it’s parents but there is some red coming in on the forehead. The eyes are still brown instead of the dark red of the adults. This is a very vocal bird too, very entertaining.
Redbellied Woodpeckers
are birds that I see here year-round. I love them for their goofiness and also because they are not feeder-shy. This year, the resident couple has raised one baby, and that baby has now started to come to the cameras too. The male turns into a slobbering mess every summer (he produces a lot of saliva), and molting does not do him any favors either. I think the hole nesting process must be extra hard on him. Did you know that the males actually incubate too with this species? Pretty cool. (male, youngster, female from left to right)
Woodpeckers are regulars here
but in the winter, some of them have made themselves rare. Now, the males are coming out and visit more frequently (apparently they love the sunshine as much as I do). Here are a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpeckers look very similar to Hairy Woodpeckers, but they are noticeably smaller and have a shorter beak (there are other ID features but these are the most obvious). The Redbellied is named so for his red patch on the belly. There is also a Redheaded Woodpecker, but I only had one one time here. I love Woodpeckers and am happy to have them around.
There have been some
visits of birds I have not seen a lot recently, and some of them are the woodpecker guys. Suddenly, a male Redbellied and a Downy have been coming to the camera bowls. They are beautiful and have interesting patterns and textures that make their visits even more special.
The Christmas snow came two days late,
but the backyard was a beautiful winter wonderland earlier today. I love snow days because they provide a welcome break from the somewhat boring routine that is going on right now. Many birds were visiting, and it was exciting to look out the window. The Blue Jays, Starlings, MoDos and Finches dominated at the feeders, but there were some highlights as well. The Redbellied Woodpecker male with the funky forehead was back, and so was the female. He’s in the first two photos.
I always get a kick
out of the Redbellied Woodpeckers at the cam feeder. They come for the nuts, and sometimes it takes them a bit, but then then they figure out how to cling. With this female, I thought it was cool how her belly feathers bunched up. You can see a bit why they got their name but it’s also kind of cool how vibrant and almost neon they look.
Video: Spa day for "Owlie"
I hung this feeder yesterday, it is made of sunflower seeds, peanuts, some fruit and I think thistle. It is a crowd pleaser, and it was hilarious to watch them give the "owl" a wellness treatment on this beautiful snow morning. The Birdsy camera got a bit confused over night because it thought there was an actual owl there too 😄
Sharing is caring,
and I hope that just like this Goldfinch and Downy are peacefully sharing a meal, you will too. In company that you like and choose. A Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it tomorrow. Be safe out there and enjoy the food!
The squabbles continue!
Here with two who rival over who gets the most peanuts - a Blue Jay and a Redbellied Woodpecker. I have several feeding stations around, including a seed cylinder, and it is funny to see them all making the rounds on all of them, depending on the time of the day and the amount of food in bowls or on platforms. Apart from a little “beak rattling”, nothing nasty happens in those fights though. Humans should follow their example more. Have a great Friday!
When I first heard
the call of this woodpecker, I was confused as to what this bird was. The Redbellied Woodpeckers in my backyard are particularly vocal, and it is especially fun to listen to them when they have young ones to feed. Here is the resident female Red-bellied Woodpecker. For those who wonder about the name - the species has a red area on the lower belly. They are one of my favorites, and always willing to come to food bowls, even if just for a single sunflower seed.