Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Today it has been snowing and blowing, with temperatures holding in the upper 20's and windchills in the single digits.  Brrrrr.....

But I guess this little guy thought it was a fine day to visit the bird feeder in the front yard.

It's not the first time he's come to the feeder, and I've seen and heard his drumming several times on the trees in the backyard.

I found a very nice Ohio bird guide in pdf form that has nice photos and a quick summary of each bird. Here is the description given for the red-bellied woodpecker:

"This big, extroverted and conspicuous
woodpecker is easily lured to backyard
feeders, and its loud rolling churr calls are
heard throughout Ohio woodlands. The
common name is not very appropriate; the
faint blush of reddish pigment on the breast is
barely visible. After the downy woodpecker
and possibly the Northern flicker, this is the
most common Ohio woodpecker."


Our usual feeder friends are sparrows, finches, bluejays, juncos, and cardinals, so it was nice to see someone different today. I'm hoping he'll make a regular appearance this winter.  Thankfully, I was able to get these pictures through the front window so I could stay nice and warm inside on this wintery day.

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