Hallson Gardens

Hope this turns out...a photographer I am not. Took this outside my kitchen window. I know (think?) that he is some kind of woodpecker. He is really skittish when he sees me looking at him, doesn't stick around very long at a time.
Theresa

Red bellied woodpecker.

Thanks OED! Are hairy woodpeckers and downey woodpeckers the same? Cuz I have seen one or both of them too. Along with cardinals, doves, black capped chickadees, blue jays, house finches. I want some yellow finches tho. My Dad has some at his house, and the kids were just fascinated, so we got a thistle bag feeder, but have not seen any yet

The Hairy and Downy are different. The Hairy is larger, with a bigger beak and more black on it's back. The Downy's wings have a stripped look because of the pattern of white spots. The males of both are the only ones with the red patch on the back of it's head. Even though the Hairy's beak is longer, the males of both have a longer beak than the females. You may have the Goldfinches (yellow) right now. The males loose the bright color in the winter.

Look at the Goldfinch post by Char.

I did see Char's post...(I lurk ALOT) My Dad told me that they change color in the winter, just haven't seen a lot of activity at the thistle bag; a few birds here and there, not very many, not quite sure what kind; could be them... maybe they just don't know it is here yet??

If you have them in your area they should come. Because they are almost exclusively seed eaters, they will remain in the spring when most others separate. The cardinals will pair off and more than likely one male will declare the feeder as part of his territory. The finches aren't as territorial.

Pretends (I like that name, kinda fits me too).

Nice picture of him. Yep, the male red bellied has red on his head all the way down to the beak. His lady friend will not have so much red.

You got the perfect angle to see how he got his name. It is not always so obvious.

Take a quick look at this site
http://birds.cornell.edu/BOW/REWO/

I love those birds, and we have them here, too....Your lucky you got a picture........They are skiddish, aren't they?

Thanks!!

Beautiful birds. CHAR

The above woodpecker revisited.