Lady in Red

I was pleased to see the female red-bellied woodpecker stop by for a suet snack. Typically I see her mate. It’s likely they’re incubating eggs right now or perhaps they’ve just hatched. Sadly, European Starlings are one of their primary predators. Starlings often take over their nest by laying their own eggs on top of the woodpecker eggs, or they toss out the woodpecker eggs or hatchlings before laying their own. It’s concerning because we always have a few starlings around • I heard and saw a phoebe yesterday afternoon • A couple of errands today, and a quick stop at the river to watch a few gulls and cormorants fly up and down river • I’m off to do a few things outdoors before dinner time rolls around. Sometimes the days just aren’t long enough…