Red-bellied Woodpecker
“Pileated, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are all regular winter residents, as are the increasing number of Red-bellied woodpeckers choosing to not vacation south.”
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Ten of the 14 passages, oldest first.
Pileated, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are all regular winter residents, as are the increasing number of Red-bellied woodpeckers choosing to not vacation south.
As for woodpeckers, I counted six Hairy woodpeckers, nine Downey woodpeckers, two Red-bellied Woodpeckers and one Pileated Woodpecker in our yard on the same day.
In the celebrated “from away” category are the Tufted Titmice, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Eastern Bluebirds, all species that you would not have found here during the winter months in Cape fifty years ago, yet today are quite common.
A Pileated woodpecker and two Red-bellied woodpeckers have also been visiting our neck of the woods.
One juvenile Red bellied Woodpecker also is a regular and a handful of first year Hairy Woodpeckers as well.
Other mentionables include: A female Common Eider teaching a gaggle of chicks to dive for crustaceans, several Swamp Sparrow fledglings - a Red bellied Woodpecker with three young continuing to devour our suet and Song Sparrow, Titmice and Chickadee fledglings are out and about as well.
Earlier in the day I saw two juvenile Red-bellied woodpeckers in a crab apple tree on our property.
Through January our backyard feeders continue to attract solid numbers of House Finch, Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied woodpeckers and Cardinals.
At one point two young Orioles and two young Red-bellied Woodpeckers managed to peacefully dine together.
While this season has not been quite so productive, a single Northern Flicker did appear on our suet with a Red-bellied Woodpecker on January 8 and again on January 11.
Show all 14 passages
Shortly thereafter, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Pileated Woodpecker, and separately, a Northern Flicker, a Pileated Woodpecker, two Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Brown Creeper in the same tree together.
Interestingly, for the Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers their wintering holes are generally no more than six feet off the ground which is at least three times lower than their breeding season nesting cavities.
In my backyard a Palm Warbler, a Red breasted Nuthatch, and a Red bellied Woodpecker fed together on suet, their colors catching the setting sun, while White throated, Chipping and Song Sparrows scratched and gave chase below.
On one occasion, a female Baltimore Oriole and a Red-bellied Woodpecker dined side by side while a Gray Catbird and a Red-breasted Nuthatch waited, with surprising patience, for their turns.