red bellies

 























A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers live in the wild wild woods.  This winter, they come to the feeder tray one at a time, so observers might think there is only one.  But they give themselves away when they call to one another from different trees.  The male has more red feathers on his head, extending from his lores all the way to the nape of his neck.  And yes, they do have a patch of red or orange feathers on their bellies.

Downy woodpeckers and squirrel

The Downy Woodpecker parents are busy feeding the young birds in their tree cavity nest.  Every few minutes, one of them brings a worm or bug to the young.  At least one is now strong enough to climb up the inside wall of the cavity and beg for more food.  Here, the male gives a worm to the hatchling.

 When the adult birds are away, a red squirrel comes by to see if he can peek in.

 

Downy Woodpeckers feeding young

The pair of Downy Woodpeckers, seen on May 15 excavating a nest cavity in the wild wild woods, have successfully hatched their clutch of 6 eggs.  For the last several days, they spent many hours hunting for small insects and worms to feed their young.  Sometimes hunting is good; they have to line up and take turns delivering the meals.  For protection from intruders, these small birds purposely create a cozy cavity with an opening just big enough for them to squeeze through.

nest cavity

A pair of Downy Woodpeckers decided the tree stump near the feeder garden is a good prospect for their 2016 nest cavity.  They've been excavating into the old tree for a few weeks.  Today, the female peeked out long enough for a look around; it was long enough for us to get a look at her!

NestWatch

NestWatch, the citizen science project! 
We look for cavity-nesting birds in trees as well as in nest boxes.  A pair of Downy Woodpeckers has been excavating this hole overlooking the feeder gardens.  Both will work at the nesting hole for up to three weeks.  Their intent is to make a cozy cavity up to a foot deep in which to lay their eggs.  They will line the bottom with woods chips.  "Downies" usually lay 3 to 8 eggs; the eggs are white so the parents can see them in their dark cavity.

feathers of Downy Woodpeckers

Downy woody  Picoides pubescens
is the smallest woodpecker of the wild wild woods.  We see two or three at a time, searching up and down the trees for insects within the folds of bark.


The nasal bristles (stiff yellow feathers above the beak) keep wood crumbs out of the bird's nasal openings as he searches for food or excavates a nest hole in a tree.



Downy Woodpeckers stop at the water bowl too, where this tiny feather was left behind. It may be from the top of this male's head.

feet and beak

We heard the shrill whinnying calls of the male Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus as he made his way through the woods, then came to the suet block for breakfast.  He thrust his strong beak into the food, scattering some crumbs to the ground and gulping a few pieces into his gullet.  Once he had a mouthful, he went to a nearby tree where he used the rough bark to hold the suet as he consumed it.  His tongue has a spear-like tip bearing backward-facing barbs that allow him to lick food items from between the folds of tree bark.  Pileated Woodpeckers' favorite food is carpenter ants; also other ants, wood boring beetle larvae, termites, flies, caterpillars, cockroaches, grasshoppers, wild fruits and nuts.
Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet (two toes facing forward, one facing back) and allows these birds to easily climb and grasp bark, tree branches and other structures.

Pileated woodpeckers

Female: red crest on back half of head

Male: red crest on entire head plus red "moustache"

Every week we see a Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus in the woods, or on the suet feeders at the edge of the woods.  Today both a male and female were searching up and down the tree trunks for insects.  Each bird is 15 to 20" long, with a wingspan of 26 to 29".  A pair may stay together year around; they'll begin excavating a nesting hole in late March.

suet breakfast

Today the male yellow-shafted Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus visited the suet block for breakfast.  It was a wet foggy winter morning; maybe he could not find enough ants, his favorite food, so suet would suffice for energy. 

Flickers often search for ants underground, hammering at the soil the way other woodpeckers drill into wood.

juveniles

We're seeing juvenile birds in the wild wild woods, now that many are out of their nests and learning to hunt and fly.  This Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinusstill has young short tail feathers and no red coloring on its head yet. 

insect picnic

In the quiet woods, along the path, a fallen log has rotted and curved to become a fine trough.  Insects evidently hatch and grow there, and the birds clean them out every so often.  Today the sound of soft tap-tap-taps led me to see a Pileated Woodpecker enjoying the harvest.

Southwest USA study trip III

 

While studying wildflowers among cactus in the Southwest, I spotted birds we probably won't see around here . . . .

Gambel's Quail  (nests on the ground, eats grasses and cactus fruits)

Cactus Wren  (nests in woodpecker holes, loud and boisterous)

Gila Woodpecker (makes nest holes in palms and saguaros)

Greater Roadrunner (hides nest in center of cactus thorns, here taking a lizard to the nest)

fat food

The Pileated Woodpeckers come out of the wild wild woods occasionally to take suet at the feeder station.  Especially on a cold winter day, the extra fat is good warming nutrition for them.

young pileated woodpeckers

 

We watched two young female Pileated Woodpeckers Dryocopus pileatus this morning.  They were hunting for bugs in grass at the edge of the woods when a neighborhood cat came along; the woodpeckers dived and swooped above it to chase the feline away.  She crept away through the shrubs while they vocalized their loud, high-pitched ‘kuk-kuk, kuk-kuk' alarm calls.  Then they resumed searching for insects in the grass and at the base of a nearby tree.  Note the strong claws that allow them to grip tree bark solidly while they probe for insects.

180 degree swivel

Cold, sub-zero windy day.  In the sun against dark tree bark was a safe place for this female Red-bellied Woodpecker to rest for a while.  Fluffed into a ball of feathery down, claws dug in and red belly against the bark, she was able to bask in the sun as long as she kept watch for predators  . . .  hence the head swiveled around over her back!

suet choices

We have several types of suet feeders to accommodate different sizes of birds.  The male (red moustache) of our Pileated Dryocopus pileatus Woodpecker pair hangs onto the cage for big birds but leans over to taste the suet flavor in the offering next door.

winter water

 
A heated water bowl at the edge of the woods has been our bird oasis through several cold winters.  It keeps water available for the birds, even when the rim accumulates a crust of snow and long icicles around the perimeter.  It is close to the "woody tree" where many roosting holes provide avian accommodations on cold nights.

Northern Flicker

yellow shafted

A Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus has been coming out of the woods almost every day, to get some of the suet from our feeders.  We see this one is a male since he has a black mustache; female Flickers have a brown face.  This is a "yellow-shafted" Flicker, meaning the undersides of his wing and tail feathers are yellow.  In western North America, Flickers are typically "red-shafted".

At a distance, as they often feed on the ground for ants and beetles, a Flicker will appear brownish.  But up close, you can appreciate the black spots, bars, and crescent shapes that create the Flicker's rich patterns.

learning to find their own food

The male Downy Woodpecker  
Picoides pubescens demonstrated for his two fledglings how to get lunch at the suet dispensers.

The parent handed a bit of suet to the young male begging below him on the paddle (right), while the young female helps herself to the suet as she balances on the wire suet cage (left).

All three use their tails to balance, a characteristic of woodpeckers.

really red bellied

We've seen both the male and female Red-bellied Woodpeckers at the edge of the wild woods this winter.  Usually, their red belly is not easily visible.  However, on a recent morning the male came out of the woods for suet and showed us his full colorful plumage.  It is courtship season for Woodpeckers!