A Woodpecker Whirlwind

I walked out onto my deck this afternoon and was met by a whirlwind of Woodpeckers.

A trio of Downy’s chased each other around the Dogwood, each one trying to lay claim to the Bark Butter branch.

This handsome fellow got there first, but he never did relax. He kept dipping and ducking, knowing he could get dive-bombed at any minute.

downy1

downy3

Meanwhile, this lovely lady watched and waited for an opening.

downy6

Downy number three was last in line, but eventually dropped down and grabbed a bite to eat.

downy8

As I was watching the antics of this threesome, a movement in the center of the yard caught my eye and I looked up to see this juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker perched on the side of a tree.

redhead3

redhead4

I have never seen a juvenile of this variety before, so I was pretty excited.  When he (or she) grows up, he will have a bright red head and a glossy black back, but I’m pretty sure God gave him drabber colors to start with so he wouldn’t be such easy prey.  You can check out this previous post if you want to see what he will look like when he is older.

I only had time to take a couple of pictures before an adult Red-bellied (or in this case, Red-bullied) Woodpecker quickly informed this youngster that he was not welcome in the backyard.

The male then proceeded to take over the ever popular Bark Butter branch, sticking out his tongue to taunt his rivals.

redbellied4

Okay…so he was probably tasting and not taunting, but he still looked like he had a bit of an attitude.

These birds all seemed extra territorial today.  Made me want to sing, “Why can’t we be friends?”  I have to admit though, they were entertaining to watch.

 

Published by kathydoremus

Amateur nature "photogriter." One who still marvels at majesty.

13 thoughts on “A Woodpecker Whirlwind”

  1. Lovely pics Kathy! It is exciting to see the juvenile of the species for the first time. Similar to our birds, the immature have brown as their main back covering.

  3. Wow, these pictures are awesome!!! The last one is really extraordinary, I´ve never seen a bird sticking out it´s tounge… Maybe I didn´t watch good enough? Btw, you inspired me to buy a birdhouse. 😊 We fixed it in the plumtree in our tiny garden. Most birds are titmice. They love sunflower seeds the best until now… They prefer them before other seeds even though they have a shell. Really interesting. Thanks for you always inspiring and wonderful posts and pictures! 🏠🐥🌞

    1. It is really hard to see their tongues…the camera helps because it freezes the action.
      So glad you have a birdhouse…you will enjoy it! I think if you have sunflower seeds and peanuts you will have happy birds. 🙂 And thanks for the encouraging words.

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