Review of Woodpecker Facts and Photography

                                                                         Downy Woodpecker

I have been fascinated by woodpeckers for a long time, but I didn't realize there were so many different types of woodpeckers.  This year I purchased a peanut feeder for my backyard.  When I started to see different types of woodpeckers using the feeder I checked out information about woodpeckers  both online and in my Backyard Birds guide.  In this post I will show you photos and facts about the four types of woodpeckers that have visited my backyard.

Northern Flicker

The Northern Flicker is a very handsome bird.  It has a brown back with black bars and a very distinct crescent of black on the chest. In flight the white rump is very conspicuous.  

These woodpeckers usually forage on the ground for food, but I have also seen them at my suet feeders.

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpeckers are the most common ones that I see in my backyard.  They visit year round and are fairly small birds.  These small tubular looking woodpeckers are very delicate looking.  They have crisp black and white plumage and the males have a red patch toward the back of the head.  They have a larger look-alike cousin the Hairy Woodpecker.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is a large bird with zebra type stripes across the back.  The red belly is really just a pink tinge across the white chest.  The really red part is on the head.  The male has a bright red cap that extends from the bill all the way down the nape.  The female is similar to the male except that the red cap is only in the  nape area.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

I have only seen this bird one day in my yard.  I was able to capture photos from several angles and posted it on birding sites.  The consensus was that it is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  My bird book says that I probably caught it on its' migration south.

These birds are rather large woodpeckers with a striped face pattern and a long white slash on the wing.  The male has a red throat and forecrown.  The female has white throat and red fore crown, so I would say the photo above is a male Yellow-bellied woodpecker.

Feeders for  Woodpeckers

I have two types of feeders that I use to attract woodpeckers.  The first is a cage like feeder that I fill with suet cakes.  You can see a Northern Flicker enjoying a suet cake in the photo below.

This type of feeder is also visited by several other types of birds.

This year I purchased a peanut feeder and it has been very popular with both woodpeckers and nuthatches.  This feeder is filled with unshelled peanuts and it is fun to watch the birds peck away till they get the nut out of the shell.  This keeps them at the feeder longer and helps me to capture them with my camera.  Below is a Red Breasted Nuthatch that visited the peanut feeder.

I purchased my peanut feeder on Amazon.  You can get your own by following the link below.

                                                           

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Review of Backyard Birdbath

Meeting Place

Creating a Bird Friendly Backyard

My husband and I really enjoy watching the birds in our backyard and in the past year I have become passionate about bird photography.  I have always had a feeder or two in the backyard but never really thought about the rest of the environment for the birds until this year.  In researching the best ways to have a bird friendly yard, I realized what I was missing was a bird bath.  

 

After spending some time looking through Amazon and reading all the reviews on various birdbaths, I decided on the pedestal bird bath shown above.  It had several features that fit my needs.

• It is made of a lightweight  resin that is frost resistant and durable
• It is 28.25 inches high and 20 inches in diameter...just the right size for my patio or flower bed
• It holds 8 gallons of water
• You have the option of adding sand to the base for stability.  I have not done this at this point and have had no issues with it tipping.

When I got the birdbath delivered I found it came in three pieces and was very easy to put together.  I decided to locate it on the edge of my patio and set it up and within hours I had birds visiting.

Robins

I knew there were Robins around our area, but since they do not normally come to feeders, I rarely saw the in our yard before I got the birdbath.  Now they come regularly both to drink and to take their baths.  They are very entertaining as they splash around in the birdbath.  Below are a few photos of a Robin enjoying his bath.

I was able to capture these photos while sitting at my kitchen table and photographing through the sliding glass doors.

Other Birds Enjoying the Water

While the Robins are the birds I've seen taking a bath most often, many other birds stop for a drink of water.  This Yellow Bellied Sapsucker stopped in our yard for the first time after I put out the bird bath.

Even the Mourning Doves enjoy the water.

Birdbath

I got the birdbath about 6 months ago so it has made it through the winter and seems to be very durable.  I love the design and the way it shows up in my photos.

Birds

Birds need water for both drinking and bathing, so if you don't already have a birdbath for your yard I hope you will consider adding one both for the birds and for your enjoyment.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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