The hard-to-catch Red-belly

I have been trying to get a decent shot of the Red-bellied Woodpecker, (Melanerpes carolinus) for ages! They don't seem to be a bird that can stand to be anywhere near humans... or maybe it's just me... Either way, I've had a hard time catching a shot of them. Most of our birds flee when I approach (reasonable response) but eventually come back to the area if I am still enough-long enough. Not these guys... until today! :) I practiced extreme patients and lost the feeling in my trigger finger, but eventually it seems that I was no longer a threat. Or they thought I was a dimwit for just standing still in the cold, wind and snow for so long. After all, how much of a threat is can a dimwit really be?
(I really did loose the feeling in my fingers... had to wait an hour to type this, but the color is back in them now. Whew.)

Did a little reading on this bird, as I couldn't see any red belly. I guess it's a very small reddish tinge on the belly that isn't visible when it's perched. (And Red-Headed is already taken ~ they have a bit more of a red cap.) Red-bellied's have a life span of about 20 years in the wild.

Made it one month finding a blip for each day! I know it was the shortest month of the year... but I like to celebrate tiny milestones. (No laughing long-timers!)