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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Our Red-Bellied Woodpecker

I remember the excitement when we first heard that usual call. Then we were stunned by his brilliant red cap. He continued to come once every couple of months, eating the suet and sunflower seeds that we provided for all of our birds. It was always fun to see him swooping in to snack on the refreshments.

This fall, at least two years after spying his first visit, he has become a regular visitor. A daily regular.



Video: Red-Bellied Woodpecker at Gilmore Gardens
(click here to view from email)

Red-bellied Woodpeckers,  so called for the small rusty patch underneath, live all over the eastern US in wooded areas.

13 comments:

  1. Woodpeckers are so fun to watch! I always get confused that this one is called red-BELLIED, when he has red on his HEAD. But I believe the red head is a completely red head, not just the back of the head. Amazed you got so close to video, or did you have use telephoto?

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  2. Toni: You are exactly right about his completely Red-headed woodpecker cousin. We have seen glimpses of his blushed-belly when he stretches for the feeder. He is very used to having us around, even coming to the feeder when we are sitting on the patio. I was standing on our back porch taking video with our little camera.

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  3. Such colour! Beats the socks (tummies) (heads) off our robins!

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  4. This is one of my favorite birds. A distinctive call and a beautiful look.

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  5. What a privilege to have such a visitor! Beautiful!

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  6. I am always excited, too, when I hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the woodpecker's drumming. I wish we had more of them!

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  7. I have a few of these beauties and they are so fun to watch. Great job capturing on video. I'm not sure I could get close enough without them flying off.

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  8. My husband was out pruning raspberries yesterday afternoon and a huge pileated woodpecker flew out of one of our old ash trees. What a bird!

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  9. Great shots, I have no success at all in photographing birds in my garden, we don't have this bird at all, although there are woodpeckers, but not with such an amazing red colour. Christina PS don't forget foliage day 22nd November.

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  10. What a cool close up video! They really are spectacular little creatures:)

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  11. Hi again, Julie. Thanks for posting this link on my post. What a little beauty this bird is and very entertaining for you to watch I can see. Enjoy your special visitor :-)

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