My friends and family think I'm insane...

16 years ago

I've never had woodpeckers coming to my feeders, and I've been watching for months and months. Today I looked out the window and noticed a black and white bird....I took a closer look and saw the red cap on it's head!! I ran and got my camera because I knew it wouldn't stick around for long and I wanted to be able to identify what I had seen. When I downloaded my picture I was so ridiculously thrilled to discover that I had not just one, but two woodpeckers at the feeders!! As best as I could tell, one was a downy and the other was a red-bellied. I was so excited I immediately called my mother, my husband, and my best friend to tell them. They weren't as thrilled as I was. They just don't get it, but I know you all will understand!!

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Comments (12)

chickadeemelrose
16 years ago
You bet we do!

Congrats on your photo and noone here will ever question why you are so excited. We've all been there!

I am new to backyard birding and I totally understand what you are saying. That's why this forum is so great, you can share your latest sighting and everyone is happy for you.

Have fun and keep us posted!

Donna
donnalovesblue
16 years ago
Join the club! Just wait until nesting season cause we crazy bird people get even crazier!! LOL! Really nice photo and we're all excited for you.

Donna
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bedelia
16 years ago
Welcome to the world of birds. My family flipped when I had my sister come over to fill our feeders while we were on vacation. It was like dog sitting -- well, almost.

Everyone thought we must have a house bird of some sort to have my sister come over to feed it. When in fact, it was my orioles and finches.
lisa11310
16 years ago
Insane????? We all are on here. Welcome to the asylum! Hi my name is Lisa and Im addicted to birds! LOL
rachel_frome_ky
16 years ago
You can also go on Twitter.com to chat with birders who live near you and/or sign up with birding trips. Do a search on twitter for birds, birders, etc., then "follow" them and/or birding groups
cjc45
16 years ago
I used to have the red-bellied and the downy at my peanut butter feeder when I lived in Georgia. The feeder had a cage around it to keep the squirrels out. Of course the small birds could go right through the mesh and the red-bellied has such a long beak he could reach the peanut butter through the mesh. I think he also helped keep the starlings away, they steered clear of that beak!
hawkeye_wx
16 years ago
Nice to see you getting woodpeckers. The last two days I've been treated to my first red-bellied woodpecker since last winter.
jiggreen
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the responses!

I'm happy to say that the woodpeckers are now regular visitors to my feeders. There is a male and female Downy and a female Red-bellied. So far I have not seen a male Red-bellied, but I'm watching and hoping! I'm using a peanut butter suet, which the Downy seems to favor and a big block of the Birdola Woodpecker food, which is the favorite of the Red-bellied. None of the woodpeckers seem interested in the BOSS or shelled peanuts that I have in other feeders. We live right next to woods which have a lot of dead trees, and I have intentionally left a mixed clump of live and dead trees/bushes in my side yard.

I'd really love to attract Pileated as well as Red-headed woodpeckers.

What else can I do to make my yard woodpecker friendly?
james_m_clark
16 years ago
Like the man said: "I don't suffer from insanity -- I love every minute of it!"
organic_bassetlvr
16 years ago
"Insanity doesn't run in the family, it gallops!" from Arsenic & Old Lace, I think. The rest of my family are not birders BUT they all know local, backyard birds both by sight & ear just because they hear me blather on about them constantly. Just yesterday my sister-in-law described a "male pattern bald" hawk. She said it was the size of a Red-tail but didn't have a red tail, head was mostly white with dark streaks across the ears. I immediately thought of an Osprey but didn't think she'd see one in my yard. She was at a lake when she saw it. I showed her a pic in a field guide & she said "That's it!" You have a great feeder set up, BTW. You are already ahead of me as I have yet to take a bird pic.
Susan
bluebirdbabe
16 years ago
Just wanted 2 let u know u r in good company. We r ALL insane/nuts/whacked over our birds!!! U should have seen me when a pileated WP landed on my deck. LOL, I should have called the ppl in white coats on myself :)

Karen
donald lucius
16 years ago
i have had a melenistic northern flicker here last two days
i have got a couple shots of him in shadow but yet to catch him in the sunlight, He is dark charcoal grey with male red marking on head but little light speckling or not noticable lighter underbelly. My relatives say quit taking pictures in the dark! But i hope he stays around enough to get a good photo closeup.

My friends and family think I'm insane...

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My friends and family think I'm insane...

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