Woodpeckers

The starlings and cat birds having departed in search of new opportunities, we’d been enjoying some peace and quiet at the bird feeders, but it never lasts for long.

Soon, another flock arrived, red-winged blackbirds and grackles. They seem to hang out together and though not quite as rowdy as the starlings, they make a fair bit of noise.

Late yesterday I threw some peanuts at the end of the walkway where a groundhog found them. If it was disturbed by a flock of birds suddenly dropping all around, it did not flinch, rather scoffing the nuts with increased enthusiasm.

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Those birds could clear the pathway in minutes, but they were very nervous. I stood still, well back from the window, yet the moment I pointed the camera, the whole flock shot into the air, taking a startled bluejay with them, though two mourning doves barely lifted their heads.

Is it any wonder doves are the most common prey of hawks? Not nervous enough.

Within seconds, the birds were back, repeating their performance several times until finally the nuts were gone. I suspect it was the groundhog who got the more satisfying meal.

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“Drop everything! Come quick!” I was told early this morning.

Not an unusual command, but it was uncommonly urgent.

This time it was to see a “new” bird. New to us, that is. A variety of these birds visit us and often, but I had only ever seen pictures of the red-headed woodpecker, so this was exciting!

Some facts from CornellLab’s All About Birds:

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The gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker is so boldly patterned it’s been called a “flying checkerboard,” with an entirely crimson head, a snow-white body, and half white, half inky black wings. These birds don’t act quite like most other woodpeckers: they’re adept at catching insects in the air, and they eat lots of acorns and beech nuts, often hiding away extra food in tree crevices for later. This magnificent species has declined severely in the past half-century because of habitat loss and changes to its food supply.

The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only four North American woodpeckers known to store food, and it is the only one known to cover the stored food with wood or bark. It hides insects and seeds in cracks in wood, under bark, in fenceposts, and under roof shingles. Grasshoppers are regularly stored alive, but wedged into crevices so tightly that they cannot escape.

Red-headed Woodpeckers are fierce defenders of their territory. They may remove the eggs of other species from nests and nest boxes, destroy other birds’ nests, and even enter duck nest boxes and puncture the duck eggs.

The Red-headed Woodpecker benefited from the chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease outbreaks of the twentieth century. Though these diseases devastated trees they provided many nest sites and foraging opportunities for the woodpeckers.

The striking Red-headed Woodpecker has earned a place in human culture. Cherokee Indians used the species as a war symbol, and it makes an appearance in Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, telling how a grateful Hiawatha gave the bird its red head in thanks for its service.

Pleistocene-age fossils of Red-headed Woodpeckers—up to 2 million years old—have been unearthed in Florida, Virginia, and Illinois.

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Two of our frequent visitors.

Woodpeckers are very fond of suet.

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It is easy to distinguish the male and female Red-bellies, from their headdress.

The female has a grey patch on her crown.

All that worrying about her kids!

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But how do you tell a Hairy from a Downy woodpecker?

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Not trusting myself to get it right, I asked Google to identify the two little birds in the above photos, but then I decided I didn’t agree. I think the first one is a Downy and the second a Hairy, but Google suggested it was the other way around.

However, when I showed Google another photo of the same bird from another angle, I got a different answer, so I’m going with my own opinion here.

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The magnificent Flicker is also a woodpecker, but unlike most of the others, they feed on the ground, eating ants and beetles.

We are always delighted by their rare visits.

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In Washington, the Pileated woodpecker was just one of the many birds that came to our feeders, but in those days I had not yet been so keen on photography, so I have no images of the beautiful bright blue Steller’s jays, or the Towhees and Grosbeaks.

Cousins of the latter two visit us here in New York, though not as often enough and the Pileated prefers different terrain, so we only occasionally catch sight of one while on the road.

The East Coast jay is entirely different.

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Here in New York, we have Blue-jays. Noisy and demanding!

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As I recall, the Steller’s jay is smaller. They are stunningly beautiful. I miss them.

All About Birds provided this:

Steller’s and Blue jays are the only North American jays with crests. The Blue Jay is expanding its range westward. Where they meet, the two species occasionally interbreed and produce hybrids.

Now that is a bird I would like to see!

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