There are times when the backyard feels like a major battlefield! And it usually doesn’t take long for the chain of command to become clear.

For example…this female Hairy Woodpecker who was grabbing some Bark Butter…

…clearly outranks the little Downy that tried to join her. (I like how you can see the difference between the two when they are in the same picture!)

The Hairy whipped around and let the small invader know in a most inhospitable manner that this would be a one bird branch.

Then, not much later, a Dove, whose authority obviously outweighed that of the Hairy, swooped down and scattered the unsuspecting woodpecker off a different perch.

But the Dove didn’t have the most dominant position because a Red-bellied Woodpecker arrived with an open-beaked attitude and announced that he would be in charge.

He then proceeded to order the Doves to vacate the premises…one…

…by one…

…by one…til he had sole position of the feeding tray.

It makes you wonder, is there any bird that would not be intimidated by the high-ranking Red-bellieds?

The answer is yes! Surprisingly, this sweet little Goldfinch didn’t cower in the least. He was willing to share space at the feeder, but refused to surrender the seed!

I’d say something profound like, “Don’t you wish we could all be more like Goldfinch?” – but that would make for a really boring post! It really was entertaining to watch the birds battle a bit.