Much to my delight, the Red-headed Woodpecker that returned in the spring has continued to show up during the summer months. I have to confess, he is a pretty predictable fellow.
His usual order of events is to first swoop in and survey the surroundings.
Then, once he has determined that the coast is clear (or at least that no bigger beaks are lurking about) he hops over to the Bark Butter.
Rather than immediately munching, he then gives another glance around, and usually a bit of a threatening glare just to be on the safe side.
Finally, he scoops up a glob of suety goodness and flies off to enjoy it at a more secluded location.
Despite the wee bit of molting that you can see on his head feathers, this guy is still the most stunning bird in the backyard.
Backyard Bird Nerd 
Love this
Thank you!
Oh how I long for him to visit us! We have ones with red tops but not full red heads like this gorgeous guy!!
I hope you are indeed surprised one day by the arrival of this red headed fellow!
meeeeee tooooooo! I would squeal!
Knowing the behaviour of your garden visitors as well as you do, Kathy, is certainly paying off with tremendous photographs!
It does help to have an idea of their tendencies!
Your photography is incredible! You have such a good eye. Can ask I what camera and lens you use for birding?
Thank you! These pictures were taken with a Canon T3i with a 70-300mm lens, but I also use a Canon SX50HS when I need a little extra zoom – it is a great camera for birding.
Wow your photos came out very sharp! I think I must have bought the cheap version of the 70-300mm bc I don’t think mine has image stabilization and a lot of my far away shots end up being pretty blurry or have a weird halo around it. Do you have the 70-300mm that was more around the $500 price range?
The lens was about $450 and definitely has IS. I am blessed that the birds are usually pretty close, which helps. I strap branches to my deck and am usually standing about 12-15 feet away.
I agree! He is most handsome! I wish I had one at my house!!! Beautiful photos!
He makes me happy every time he shows up! 🙂
Gorgeous!! ❤️❤️❤️
Agreed!
I’m glad to hear they are doing well in your area. I rarely see them owing to fewer oaks and floodplain forest, I guess. He/she is certainly good looking!
Kathy, I love your pictures…and this guy is a beauty.