My first downy woodpecker!

I have some birdfeeders out front for the cats' amusement and the birds' nourishment. Among them is a suet box - but I put in a seed cake instead.

Last night - there was a visitor that I hadn't seen before ... it was approaching dusk so the light wasn't good for a pic and again... caught w/o my camera.

It took me a minute to figure out what it was! Downy Woodpecker!! Yay! The first I have seen at the seed box. He was back this afternoon. Now that he knows that food is there, I am sure he will be a regular, just like the tufted titmice, chickadees, cardinals, house and American goldfinches. (I also have safflower and nyjer seed feeders.)

So I will get a pic of him .... he doesn't seem very afraid of humans. When we got a little bit closer he just hopped onto a branch and stretched his wings!

I've noticed that the downys don't seem that skittish. I have some sort of woodpecker around here, he's not a downy - much too large. He is rather skittish, though, and doesn't even like me watching him up on a nearby telephone pole.

I miss seeing the pileated woodpeckers up there. They're huge! And always sounded like a jackhammer going at a tree.


I hope you can get some pictures soon.

Wow, thats amazing, at our new house there are lots of birds that come into our garden, nothing exciting as a woodpecker but we have a beautiful thrush that comes every day.xx

Originally Posted by Ruthyb

Wow, thats amazing, at our new house there are lots of birds that come into our garden, nothing exciting as a woodpecker but we have a beautiful thrush that comes every day.xx

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I hear the thrushes, especially wood thrushes as they seem to like the wetlands around the area.

Yeah - @ S_W - the pileated woodpeckers are cool. You can go to whatbird.com and see if you can find out what kind of woodpecker it is.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I've noticed that the downys don't seem that skittish.

I have some sort of woodpecker around here, he's not a downy - much too large. He is rather skittish, though, and doesn't even like me watching him up on a nearby telephone pole.

I miss seeing the pileated woodpeckers up there. They're huge! And always sounded like a jackhammer going at a tree.


I hope you can get some pictures soon.

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Is it big enough to be a Pileated? Close to size for a Downy might be a Ladder Back.

Oh I'm pretty sure it's just a hairy. I can't say for certain, though, because even with my glasses on my eye sight isn't good enough to pick out just how much red is on the back of his head when he's sitting at the top of a telephone pole. Attempting to move closer makes the silly bird hop around to the far side of the pole.

I love the Downies! They're so cute! We can't put out suet because of the bears (though the bird food even attracts them in the Winter), but the Downies don't mind the cats trying to get at them through the window.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Oh I'm pretty sure it's just a hairy. I can't say for certain, though, because even with my glasses on my eye sight isn't good enough to pick out just how much red is on the back of his head when he's sitting at the top of a telephone pole. Attempting to move closer makes the silly bird hop around to the far side of the pole.

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How about using binocs????

Originally Posted by AddieBee

How about using binocs????

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Funny thing about moving.. you lose things. I haven't seen my binoculars in a few years. I should get a new pair, but it's not a necessity.

Keep that camera ready!