Monday, January 30, 2012

Woody - Female Downy Woodpecker

We have various kinds of woodpeckers and they are at my bird table often. This little girl was acting very strange though. That is a suet cake that she is hanging on I don't know how long she might have been there but I watched her off and on for half an hour and she wasn't moving or eating just hanging there. When I was ready to leave for the Sunday afternoon walk with the local walking group I walked right past her and she still didn't move so I became concerned that she might be caught in the wire of the suet cake cage so I walked right up to her and took this photo from about 3 feet away. She stayed there for a minute or two while I talked to her and finally flew up into a tree. I was explaining this and showing the photo to some of the walking group who are birders and they told me that woodpeckers are known to take naps during the day. Problem solved, I guess.