Red-Bellied Woodpecker at the Feeder

The winds have howled and flung flurries for much of the past three days, and bird action has been intense at the feeder. On this day, we saw a variety of birds there: blue jays, cardinals, juncos, a number of smaller birds, and then this fancy fellow, a male red-bellied woodpecker.

His beak was a little too long for him to eat peanuts easily or comfortably. So he sort of scrunched down on his belly, put his beak sideways and parallel down to the plate, and ate peanuts that way. It looked a bit uncomfortable, but I gather the peanuts were worth it!

For the sake of comparison, here's a shot of a female of the same species, spotted at Millbrook Marsh earlier this year. You may note that the male has a more complete cap of red on the head than the female. Those who are interested may also learn more about the red-bellied woodpecker at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.

The song: Willie Nelson, Red-Headed Stranger.

P.S. To those who love their yard critters, I highly recommend you also put out several containers of fresh water around the yard, which you refresh daily. The birds love to bathe in them, and other critters will still come around for a drink, as bathing and drinking water can be hard to come by after the temperatures drop below freezing.