Red-Bellied WoodPeckers

[Kana_Z6]

[Kana_Z6]

Think it's looking for a home.

[Kana_Z6]

Or this is it's home because it was chasing away other birds that got close to the hole & was doing its call while here.

[Kana_Z6]

I like the Black Heart on the tail feathers, does it have some meaning?

[Snow]

Oh wow - awesome pictures! You are so fortunate to be able to get them - and the hearts on the tailfeathers - that's wonderful, I have never noticed that!

[Kana_Z6]

Thanks Snow! Didn't know I had so many. Last spring I kept hearing this awful loud sound outside my bedroom window every morning it was waking me up. It was one of these wood peckers on the porch eating the cat food from the stainless steel dish, if the dish was empty it would peck in it until I put food in it. I tried all spring, summer & fall to get a picture of it eating from this dish....I never got one. So I got it a woodpecker suet, well, it didn't want it..........it wanted the cat food.

It is eating from some suets this year & has brought some friends of the same species with it.

I live on 5 rolling acres with lot of yukkie trees & have many owned unused acres next to me & behind me that is also woodland.

[PeggyC]

GREAT pictures! The red-bellied sure is a beautiful bird!

[oldcoot]

You KNOW that O.C. is appreciative for THESE pictures.
Because he had put out peanut butter and nuts, O.C. now has three woody's that visit his deck each day. If he sun will ever come out, thery come at a time when he can make good pictures, so he is eager awaiting the sun..

Once again TERRIFIC WOODY SHOTS.......Paricularly the one in the hole in the tree....

That Funny and VERY Friendly Old Coot , named John, saying, "SPRING" is coming and in just 19 more days" and counting !!!

[jmboyer]

Those are really great photos, Kana. Like Snow, I've never seen that heart on the tailfeathers, and I have woodies at my feeders all the time. How amazing that you captured it. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

[LucyGoose]

Awesome, just awesome!!! Do they all have that little heart, or is it just the way his feathers are laying? Man, you really got some great pictures there......I think I use the 2nd or 3rd one for walpaper!! Excellent!!

Thanks for sharing!!!

[pretends_to_garden]

pictures! MUCH better than the one that I got! They are neat birds; didn't see mine around for a while, then he started showing up again.
Wish I would have gotten a picture of him trying to peck the starling away from HIS suet cake!.....more than once He was bound determined that nasty starling wasn't going to get HIS food!
Course tho, at first I didn't know what he was until OED told me

Theresa

[Kana_Z6]

Okay...I have never been a big bird person, always did feed the hummers as they are the best. When I discovered this bird I thought he was kewl. My Birthday was 12-30 & I got my first digital camera & I hate, hate, hate cold weather & only get out in it if I have to. I got my woodpecker some food, because the only other pictures to take right now are boring or of my dog & cat. I have very little bird knowledge, but from what I have read, all 4 pictures are of the male woodpecker & I can see the heart in the 1st pic & the last pic & it was someone else brought it to my attention after I posted the picture. It is in the way the feathers grow, it's not a shadow or camera or an image editing trick & I can't say that it is on all of them, but you'd think it would be on all the males, not just one or 2 of them.

[Old earth dog]

That must be the bird worlds version of wearing his heart on his sleeve. It IS getting to be breeding season .
Kana, you've NEVER been a big bird person??!! WOW! I thought every body liked Sesame Street.

[Snow]

Seems to depend on the angle at which you view the tail...