Jan 28 2009
1st-Time Visit From a Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Our peanut feeder had a visit from a Red-Bellied Woodpecker for the first time this morning.
At first, we thought it was the chipper Downy Woodpecker that likes to drop in from time to time for peanuts, but the red nape that extends from its shoulders to its beak was unmistakable. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker’s bill is also longer than the Downy’s.
We did not see a red belly, however, the picture above shows the faintest hint of a non-white belly. According to our handy-dandy Sibling’s Field Guide, there is “a faint wash of red on belly rarely visible, but bright red nape always conspicuous.”
One interesting fact to note is that our neck of the woods represents just about the farthest reaches of the Red-Belly’s typical year-round range. Go about 50-75 miles farther north and the bird is considered rare. Also of interest is that the Red-Bellied habitat is typically mature deciduous woods, and we have some about a quarter to half-mile away, so I wonder if the day’s snowstorm had anything to do with its visit.
To round out the snowy morning, we also had a visit from a Tufted Titmouse, a female Cardinal, a flock of Dark-Eyed Juncos, a Blue Jay and a smattering of European Starlings.
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