A Hairy Woodpecker couple has been playing “hide and seek” with me – skirting around in the upper trees on the outside of the fence, chirping loudly, but remaining out of sight. They remind me of those kids from childhood that never strayed far from the base because they were afraid they’d get caught and have to be “it.”
I have only managed to snap a few furtive shots of the female when she swooped in before realizing I was there, but I wanted to share one with you so you can see how similar these birds are to their more compact cousins, the Downy Woodpeckers. So…first the Hairy…
…and then (on the same perch) the Downy, who is slightly smaller and has a shorter beak.
Maybe if I stand in the yard and yell “Ollie ollie in come free!” they will stop hiding and come out into the open. Or, maybe they will stay hiding and all my neighbors will realize I am crazier than they thought!
Backyard Bird Nerd 
I haven’t had a hairy woodpecker as a frequent feeder until this year. He’s so much bigger than the downy, yet unless you see them side by side it’s kinda hard to tell. I had a hanging suet feeder though, made in a grid pattern so that it was easier to measure the woodpeckers as they ate. That’s when I realized I had a hairy gobbling up the suet along side his smaller cousin the downy. SOOOO cool! Thanks for your great images of them both!