Tag Archives: Downy Woodpecker

Monday – 7.24.2017

3:52 AM – The Mourning Doves are now the most frequent visitor to the open platform feeders, and it looks like they’re feeling possessive. This one sure doesn’t want Blue Jays hanging around.

Since the cylinder suet cage is back in action, we’ve been getting a steady stream of bird customers (and a couple of attempts by squirrels). These were there over the last few days: Downy Woodpecker,White Breasted Nuthatch, Bluebird, Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee and Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Cardinal is new to the suet feeder, probably because the mealworm feeder wasn’t up that day. Same for the bluebird with the attractive pattern of back feathers.

Here’s that squirrel we mentioned. He takes a good sniff and decided to have lunch somewhere else. We really like pepper suet.

Thursday – 7.20.2017

6:33 AM – After the squirrels destroyed the old compressed seed cylinder, we put up a pepper suet cylinder. At first we hung it by itself, with no cage, but only got a few customers (like the Downy Woodpecker shown here) . Today we put it in the cage, making it easier for the birds to cling. We’ll see if they can reach the small cylinder through the  bars.

Cardinal update: Looks like one of the males is about done molting, but another (not shown here) is still pretty bald. One of the females is also molting, though she seems almost finished with it. Note her taking a mealworm away at the end of the video. Presumably she’s got chicks to feed.

Bluebirds are really blue. This adult (or maybe it’s two different birds) really has a vividly blue back. Not less vivid than the Blue Jays, just a different shade.

Wednesday – 6.28.2017

1:00 AM – Carolina Chickadees on the mealworm feeder, winning the prize for cuteness. With a cameo appearance by the Tufted Titmouse.

I’d like to think these are a couple of the juvenile bluebirds, all grown up. Maybe so, maybe not, but I like watching them anyway.

Another video of a Downy Woodpecker on the mealworm feeder. This one is very energetic and singleminded in his mealworm harvesting. He completely ignores the Chickadee who lands, grabs a worm and leaves.

Tuesday – 6.27.2017

3:29  AM – Red-bellied Woodpecker having an uneventful meal. All as usual except for the part where he flies off with a beak full of suet.

Downy Woodpecker at the mealworm feeder. The Red-belly is a regular visiter here, but the Downy usually sticks to the suet cage.

The Cardinal having an ordinary meal. At this time of day the sun really shows how vividly colored those birds are.

Friday – 6.23.2017

5:01 AM – We put the new suet out last week, and it’s almost gone. The birds, like this male Downy Woodpecker, love it. Stand by for a new brick in a few days.

This Chipping Sparrow – you can tell by gray band around the eyes – is almost always in the open feeder.

Here’s bluebirds at the mealworm feeder, as usual. At one time we were worried we wouldn’t attract any of these gluttons, but we’ve got plenty of them. As long as the supply of mealworms holds out.

Sunday – 6.18.2017

6:09 AM – It’s Retro-Sunday again, featuring the best of past Backyard Foodcourt videos. Today we’re taking a look at woodpeckers. We usually see two kinds in this part of Alabama, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the smaller Downy Woodpecker. The Red-bellied doesn’t really have a red belly, but they do have a bright red head, and nicely patterned black and white back.

From January, 17, here’s a Red-belly at the open feeder, a pretty rare sight. They usually like the perch style feeders. This one is here because he likes the peanuts he’s picking out of the seed:

The Red-belly at the suet feeder, a more common sight. From February 14.

This male Downy Woodpecker (you can tell it’s male by the red patch) usually sticks to the suet feeders, or in this case, a ‘pepper’ seed-cake in a cage. From Feb 26.

On June 12, we have two female Downy’s at the mealworm feeder, not their usual choice of feeder.

Wednesday – 6.14.2017

12:37 AM – We’ve had so many squirrels hogging the feeder that I feel obliged to show a video of one. Here it is, with a special fast action sequence at the end.

The Carolina Wren is shown here in a series of brief visits to the mealworm feeder.  Lately, like many other birds, he carries food away with him.

Finally, a male Downy Woodpecker having a go at the suet feeder.

Monday – 6.12.2017

3:43 AM – Male Cardinal ‘displays’ his crest, and chases off another male. What with the aggressions, and all the food being carried away from feeders – and not just by Cardinals – it must be the time of year for mating, guarding eggs or raising chicks.

The Tufted Titmice are always around, so much so they’re often overlooked. This pair are getting their fair share of mealworms – and note the male (with prominent crest) flying off with a worm in his beak.

The Downy Woodpeckers usually stick to the suet feeder, but sometimes they like a change. There are two different females here, one somewhat smaller than the other. We’re not sure if it’s a juvenile or not, but maybe.

Thursday – 6.8.2017

4:13 AM – We put the suet feeder back in front of the camera. The finch sock that was there got no traffic, and the Squirrel Buster was easy prey for squirrels and raccoons. We loaded the suet cage with “pepper” suet, to discourage the pests. The usual suet fans showed up right away. The first one – a Red-bellied Woodpecker – looks like it’s been injured, but I think it’s just molting. No way to really tell what’s going on. The other birds are the Downy Woodpecker, the White Breasted Nuthatch and Carolina Chickadee.

The juvenile bluebirds continue to get more color – the blue on this one is coming in.

Blue Jay cracking a seed:

Wednesday – 5.24.2017

2:51 AM – We wanted a little variety in the birds we’re recording, so we changed out the feeders in front of the cameras. The mealworm feeder was replaced with the small Squirrel Buster, and the suet feeder replaced by the Finch thistle sock. One of the first videos we got was of this Punk Red-bellied Woodpecker on the SB (Squirrel Buster) in the rain.

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Here’s some activity at the Finch thistle sock. No finches, though, in spite of the name. We don’t have pure thistle in it, so it doesn’t seem to be appealing to them. Other birds like it though, including (in order) a Carolina Chickadee, a White Breasted Nuthatch, a wet Downy Woodpecker and, of course, a squirrel.

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We finally got footage of the male House Finch. He likes the Squirrel Buster feeder, though he also shows up once on the platform.