Our backyard feeders have seen a steady stream of woodpeckers this season.
We’ve had handsome Hairy Woodpeckers dine with us…
…and delightful Downy Woodpeckers…
…and stunning Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers too.
We’ve even had a Northern Flicker who has been hanging about, though typically keeping a safe distance.
But the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which has always been the most common visitor of them all, has been missing from the mix for the last several months. I know they are in the area, because I can hear their call in the distance, but they haven’t been showing up at the feeders.
Thankfully, just this week, they’ve started stopping by again, quickly grabbing a peanut or a beakful of Bark Butter and then flying off.
They are darting in and out pretty fast and acting quite skittish, which has me wondering if they are having a bit of a territorial spat with one of the others.
There absence definitely made my heart grow fonder. I missed these beauties and am so glad to have them back!
Backyard Bird Nerd 
Such a beautiful pics of a beautiful bird Kathy ! you are blessed to have these guys stopping by
That’s a wonderful mix of wood peckers. And I’m quite curious too as to why they were in the distance for a while. I’m glad you have them back. I love the curiosity look back at you in the last photo! ❤️
Beautiful pictures. Here in the Driftless area of Wisconsin, I’m also blessed by an abundance of woodpeckers. All of these are my regular customers except the yellow-bellied sapsucker. We call our red-bellied woodpeckers (collectively) “Charlie,” because it’s less of a mouthful to say “Charlie’s here!” I have also been surprised this winter by the regular visits of at least one northern flicker to our peanut suet feeder. That hasn’t been a usual thing in our winters here so far.
It’s so funny how we name them!
I (for a reason I can’t even remember now!) call whatever Sapsucker shows up – Winston.
And the Red-bellieds we call “Awkward” – because of how awkward their little ones look!