For a couple of weeks earlier this month my morning walks were all about chasing Woodpeckers. We had at least three different kinds right here in the Park.
The red-heads are my favorites.
All of these birds are pretty camera shy. I felt really lucky to get a few halfway decent shots. Mostly they fly as soon as I aim the camera.
I hear the Pileated oftener than I see it. I'm not great at bird songs (or calls) but this one is unmistakable. These were taken at a distance (from our yard across the canal actually). This model for the cartoon Woody Woodpecker is much larger than the other two types here. (My bird book says 17" for this one, and 10" for the other two.)
The Red-bellied like to drum on the light posts. This post is on another street in the Park, but one year we had one who loved the post near us on the street side of the cottage. It certainly was a noisier morning alarm than the soft mockingbird song we're used to. I worried that the bird had some mental problems thinking he could get bugs from a metal post. But then I read that the more noise they make the more attractive they are to the female of the species.
It took quite a while to record my favorite red-head's progress up this electric pole. (I don't necessarily get an hour's worth of exercise when I walk for an hour before breakfast.) He just seemed to be climbing for the joy of it. I never really saw him pecking at the post at all.
He seemed happy that he made it to the top of the pole.
Maybe he just wanted to be king of the castle.
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- Linking to Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY; to Michelle's NATURE NOTES; to OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY (Lady Fi, Gattina, Arija, Sandy, Sylvia, and Jennifer); and to Stewart's WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY . Thank you to all of the hosts for providing these fun sharing opportunities.
Oh Sallie, they are just gorgeous!!
Posted by: Florence | June 04, 2015 at 04:57 PM
You take the best pictures! That red is so striking.
Posted by: Nan | May 31, 2015 at 07:04 PM
Wonderful shots of the woodpeckers! Every once in awhile I'll see a couple of Pileated woodpeckers come out of the woods behind my house. I'm always amazed at how big they are.
Posted by: Lois | May 28, 2015 at 06:46 PM
Dearest Sallie; Wow, I LOVE both of the pictures of red-head♡♡♡ Especially the last one he/she is looking HAPPY conquering the pole♪ Woodpeckers have colorful feathers, aren't they; I wish I could enjoy worthwhile morning walk with you :-)
It got unusually hot during the day(^^;)
Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear Japanese friend in America, xoxo Miyako*
Posted by: orchid | May 28, 2015 at 06:12 PM
Impressive shots Sallie, I used to love watching the woodpeckers in the olive groves in Italy.
Posted by: lindyloumac | May 27, 2015 at 03:06 PM
We got a lot of woodpeckers in our yard when we lived in Mississippi. They're such impressive birds. I love seeing them here.
Posted by: Halcyon | May 27, 2015 at 10:26 AM
Oh, I love the woodpeckers...great photos
Posted by: bj | May 27, 2015 at 10:06 AM
Great shots. I love the woodpeckers.
Posted by: Pat | May 27, 2015 at 09:32 AM
You did well! Wonderful to see three different kinds in one sighting!
Posted by: Marie-AZ | May 27, 2015 at 06:34 AM
Hello. Here I am way down at the bottom. I am late visiting this week. I come to by way of Mosaic Monday. I am always attracted by birds. You did a wonderful job photographing the woodpeckers. Here we have the Northern Flicker and rarely the red headed or red bellied that comes to our winter suet feeders. We also have the the Hairy and Downy woodpeckers. They are fun to watch at the feeders. Enjoyed your photos very much.
Posted by: ann | May 27, 2015 at 05:00 AM
Lovely to see the three woodpeckers. The red headed is particularly handsome
Posted by: craftygreenpoet | May 26, 2015 at 11:39 PM
Oh Sallie.... Great captures. I know we have a pileated here as I hear it and see it, but could never get a photo.... I have a few of the red-bellied.... Michelle
Posted by: Ramblingwoods | May 26, 2015 at 07:12 PM
Beautiful photos! Nice to be here again, my friend!
Posted by: SandyCarlson | May 26, 2015 at 06:40 PM
Very pretty. We had one that used to drill on our house for a while, very annoying!
Posted by: Al | May 26, 2015 at 05:06 PM
Isn't it true? Just about focused and zap, gone!
Posted by: Jenn Jilks | May 26, 2015 at 04:38 PM
Very nice. I had seen many a woodpecker, but it has only been the past couple of years, that I finally got to see a true Red Headed Woodpecker.
Posted by: Mary Howell Cromer | May 26, 2015 at 04:31 PM
Great photos - love the bright red on all these birds!
Posted by: KJ | May 26, 2015 at 04:15 PM
Beautiful Woodpecker shots.
Posted by: Margaret Birding For Pleasure | May 26, 2015 at 02:18 PM
Your comment "I read that the more noise they make the more attractive they are to the female of the species", made me laugh. You see I think that birds, animals and humans share lots of characteristics that aren't necessarily immediately obvious. It may be many moons ago but we are after all descended from the same ancestors.
Enjoy your quiet time in Florida Sally.
Posted by: Phil | May 26, 2015 at 11:08 AM
You did great with these! I have yet to get the Pileated or the Red-headed. We see the Red-bellied all the time because we have a pair who visits our yard frequently. Woodpeckers are truly a favorite of ours.
Posted by: Gail Dixon | May 26, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Beautiful woodpeckers! We have Downy Woodpeckers around here and I even had them eat seed from my hand at the Botanical Gardens. What fun that was.
Posted by: Freda | May 26, 2015 at 09:21 AM
They are so un-camouflaged with those red heads. All I can think of when I see them is Woody Woodpecker's laugh.
Posted by: Colleen | May 26, 2015 at 06:29 AM
Thank you for this interesting information about woodpeckers. I once had a beautiful redbreasted one in my front garden. They are, however, very rare overhere.
Have a great week, Sally.
Wil, ABCW Team
Posted by: Reader Wil | May 26, 2015 at 04:20 AM
Great photos and arrangements.
I think woodpeckers were the second bird my grandmother introduced me to.
We get three kinds to our feeder and only hear the pileated.
Posted by: Gayle | May 26, 2015 at 03:39 AM
I think the red-headed is a new one for me. Looks very interesting. 3 kinds in one day, not bad. :)
Posted by: NatureFootstep | May 26, 2015 at 03:27 AM
You are very lucky to have been able to take these beautiful pictures ! We have a woodpecker here around I can hear it but have never seen it !
Posted by: Gattina | May 26, 2015 at 01:21 AM
The Red headed is my favourite too.
Posted by: Adam Jones | May 26, 2015 at 12:46 AM
interesting birds:)
Posted by: Joy | May 25, 2015 at 09:53 PM
Lovely shots of the red-heads!
Posted by: Lady Fi | May 25, 2015 at 09:03 PM
Oh, what great woodies. It's always a treat to see them. I saw a pileated this weekend, but I couldn't get a good photo. Yours are wonderful!
Posted by: Karen, Pixel Posts | May 25, 2015 at 08:54 PM
Great shots of colorful woodpecker.
Posted by: Rajesh | May 25, 2015 at 08:13 PM
wonderful woodpecker captures Sallie.
Posted by: Felicia | May 25, 2015 at 07:29 PM
They are so beautiful. I had an episode too of chasing a single woodpecker because it is seldom seen in our place. I had to go under that big tree to wait for it to arrive or to leave the hole/nest. But i can't even get a decent shot and it seems aware of my presence. So i gave up on it. Till now i haven't seen one again in our property.
Posted by: Andrea | May 25, 2015 at 07:08 PM
The red woodpeckers are my favorite, too! If you could email me at tenfootheart at gmail dot com, I'd like to talk about your comment on my blog :)
Posted by: bettyl - NZ | May 25, 2015 at 06:09 PM
Love the red headed shots! Pretty colors.
Posted by: Dina Johnston | May 25, 2015 at 06:02 PM
Your photos are amazing my friend! What a beautiful variety of woodpeckers you've seen. The pileated is always fun, isn't it? Sounds like a jungle bird! Enjoy your week! Sweet hugs, Diane
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | May 25, 2015 at 05:46 PM
Oh woodpeckers are so much fun...we have at least 4-5 different ones here in our garden.
Posted by: Donna@Gardens Eye View | May 25, 2015 at 05:16 PM
I think that last was going to his penthouse! I hear them drumming in the forest, but they're usually so high in the lodgepoles that a photo is impossible. We discourage them from drumming on our wood siding!
Posted by: Barb | May 25, 2015 at 03:56 PM
Finally I get to see what this bird looks like, we don't have them here :-)
Posted by: Amy | May 25, 2015 at 02:04 PM
Fun and funny post. You do see a lot of these guys. Not so many here. When we lived in Ft. Lauderdale (second floor condo) we had one pecking a palm tree right outside our window...drove us nuts!
Posted by: Fotolosopher | May 25, 2015 at 01:22 PM
Oh, what beautiful, colorful woodpeckers!! They can be noisy can't they!! Love your captures for the day as always, Sallie! Hope you have a great new week!!
Posted by: sylviakirk | May 25, 2015 at 12:58 PM
Gorgeous presentation of beautiful photos of the woodpecker!
Happy Week to you!
artmusedog and carol
Posted by: artmusedog and carol | May 25, 2015 at 12:55 PM
Oh it's woody! I haven't seen any around us yet but I guess I'll meet one when I go to our summer house.
Posted by: Mari | May 25, 2015 at 12:36 PM
How exciting to be able to see three different woodpeckers. I hear them around where I live but never see them.
Posted by: fun60 | May 25, 2015 at 12:27 PM
LOL about the king of hill. Great woodpecker shots.
Posted by: Abrianna | May 25, 2015 at 12:25 PM
Oh my! I am envious of the Red-headed shot. I have only seen one of them once in my life a couple of years ago. The pileated is my favorite. Yes, I too hear them more than see them but it's nice knowing they are hear. This past week I took my nephew on a local mansion tour and as we sat listening to the talk before being let in I could hear a pileated and had to keep myself from constantly looking around to find it! :)
Posted by: Carletta | May 25, 2015 at 12:06 PM
Your stealthy woodpecker camera shots paid off with some good images Sallie. I've seen how quickly the pileated can reduce a rotten stump full of ants and other bugs to a pile of sawdust.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.
Posted by: Judith @ Lavender Cottage | May 25, 2015 at 11:06 AM
i love the woodpeckers!! but those Pileateds...they sure are a sight to see...AND hear!!
beautiful shots!!
Posted by: laura | May 25, 2015 at 10:46 AM
I appreciate the photos. I too struggle with camera shy birds. Usually I'm not fast enough. Thanks for sharing. Sylvia D.
Posted by: Sylvia D. | May 25, 2015 at 10:06 AM
These woodpeckers are such a delight to see. But how funny that the Red-bellied likes to make a lot of noise.
Posted by: Gaelyn | May 25, 2015 at 09:41 AM
Great pics, 17" seems to be really tall. The few woodpeckers I've seen have also been camera shy. Maybe they want royalties for their images?
Posted by: Yogi | May 25, 2015 at 09:25 AM
Wonderful woodpecker photos. I've only seen the pileated woodpecker around here - will be keeping my eyes (and ears) open for more.
Happy day!
Posted by: Lorrie | May 25, 2015 at 08:46 AM
I have not seen a red-headed one yet.
They are very picturesque and the last kind, on utility poles, look like utility guys at work :)
Great collection!
Have a Beautiful Day!!
Peace :)
Posted by: Chandra | May 25, 2015 at 08:40 AM
You are too modest. These are fabulous photos. Good job Sallie.
Posted by: Dianne | May 25, 2015 at 08:04 AM
Lovely. Lucky you! I hear the neighborhood woodpeckers, but never see them.
Posted by: Snap | May 25, 2015 at 08:03 AM
These are findings.
I always hear them, but fail to find them in the dense forest.
Posted by: rainfield | May 25, 2015 at 07:58 AM
Fantastic shots. I love woodpeckers and you photographed some beautiful ones.
Posted by: Carver | May 25, 2015 at 06:40 AM
i've only seen one redheaded here in texas but i was so thrilled! i see and hear pileateds here now. :)
Posted by: TexWisGirl | May 25, 2015 at 05:53 AM
Your woodpecker photos are great Sallie. I have never seen a red-headed woodpecker and only one time a pileated. Thankfully the red-bellied is a regular.
Posted by: DeniseinVA | May 25, 2015 at 05:30 AM
Really beautiful photos of very interesting birds!
Have a great week ahead!
Posted by: Sara D.B. | May 25, 2015 at 04:53 AM
Hello Sallie, I love your woodpecker post. They are some of my favorite birds. The Redheaded Woodie is beautiful, I wish I saw them around my place. Great post! Have a happy Memorial day and new week ahead!
Posted by: Eileen | May 25, 2015 at 03:36 AM
I rarely see any woodpeckers and when I do- it's often at a great distance.
Posted by: Coloring Outside the Lines | May 25, 2015 at 01:14 AM
They are fascinating birds with their red helmets. Typical male making lots of noise to attract attention.
Posted by: diane | May 25, 2015 at 12:38 AM
Great photos and very interesting to have 3 kinds of woodpeckers around your area. I especially had a chuckle at your comment "the more noise they make the more attractive they are to the female of the species"!!!
Posted by: Mick | May 24, 2015 at 11:59 PM
Great stuff. I love seeing woodpeckers. They might be my favorite group of birds, maybe because of Woody. I saw my very first red-headed woodpecker last week. I wish I would have had my camera with me.
Posted by: Ratty | May 24, 2015 at 11:48 PM
Fascinating photos and commentary!
Posted by: Hazel | May 24, 2015 at 11:08 PM
Reminds me to ask for on an update for Ozzie and Harriett
Posted by: Pat & Mary Jo | May 24, 2015 at 09:49 PM
Awesome to have the different woodpeckers in the park. They're great birds.
Posted by: Gunilla | May 24, 2015 at 09:47 PM
I can almost hear the red bellied on rat-a-tat-tatting. These are wonderful, Sallie.
Posted by: Penny | May 24, 2015 at 08:22 PM