I was trying to photograph a fence and kept hearing branches rattling. “Am I knocking into something?” I wondered. I moved over. Kept hearing it. I’m embarrassed to admit how long it took me to look up and find this downy woodpecker.
8 thoughts on “Knock knock”
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When you have your camera with you, giving up looking is not an option. ᒡ◯ᵔ◯ᒢ
Haha! Knock knock who’s there.. Hasn’t he got lovely markings Kay. Am loving your birdshots ✨
Kay,
Love looking at your photos on a regular basis. The woodpecker is a Downy Woodpecker. Very similar to the Hairy, but the Hairy is larger, with a proportionately longer beak. The easiest way to tell the species apart: theHairy’s beak is almost as long as its head is long, front to back.
The Downy appears to have a short beak. Keep up the great photos!
Gary
Thank you, Gary! I stand corrected (as does the post) and appreciate your clarification. I hadn’t looked carefully enough at my bird book to see the distinction.
Kay,
In addition, this is a male Downy because of the red on the back of its head. Both the male Downy and the male Hairy woodpeckers have this red area. Females lack any red, having just the black and white pattern.
A handsome fellow!
Hairy woodpeckers are very hard to find. Searching for them can be a hairy bizness. But you’re putting that long lens to good use, ‘cuz when you found him, you got him perfectly. Or her, as the case may be. Can you tell the difference between a male hairy woodpecker or a female hairy woodpecker? Just the name would make me think they are all males, but that can’t be right. 🙂
Very nice. I have taken quite a few woodpecker shots but they hardly ever come out. Yours is better than mine.