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Author Topic: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker  (Read 4010 times)

Offline Cindi

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New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« on: March 20, 2008, 09:47:52 am »
The past few mornings there has been a red breasted woodpecker drumming its brains out on a metal extension ladder that is leaning up on our house, it is loud.  Yesterday morning (for the second time) I snuck up on it and took some pretty good pictures, it just drummed and drummed away.  I have not seen this species of woodpecker before, and I am a pretty avid bird watcher.  I have seen the down woodpecker and the pileated lots of times, but not this dude.  I would love to know the actual name of it, does anyone know?  Have the most best of this beautiful day, Cindi



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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2008, 09:58:26 am »
I wonder if it's a Red Breasted Sapsucker?  They're in your area.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2008, 11:08:16 am »
Ann, oh my dear girl!!!  How did I know that you would be the first to respond to my post.  Yep, yep, that is a good and wonderful thing.  I looked at the site and not question of a doubt that is the bird.  I have not seen this bird before on my property, been here 18 years.  Not a doubt in my mind that it is indigenous to my locale, but just have never seen it.  I see the pileated woodpecks all the time drumming on a particularly favourite tree near to my house, it is a huge and massively tall alder, bordering my property with the neighbours, and they drum on the livestock fence too.  But I haven't seen the Red-Breasted Sapsucker before.  Maybe I just haven't had something in my yard that he wanted to drum on, until my lazy Husband (oops, did I say that), left the extension ladder up on the side of the house too long.  I know that he took it down yesterday, bad boy, he did leave it up there a little bit long for my liking.  But if he didn't, I wouldn't have seen this beauty of a bird, it was a lovely site, and I am tempted to put the ladder up the side of his garage now, hee, hee, that would give me a better view.  But we will be gone for a week and I am sure that this little dude will be off to find another hunk of metal to drum on. Have a beautiful and great day, groovin' on our groovy life.  Cindi
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline MrILoveTheAnts

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2008, 01:33:27 pm »
On the topic of woodpeckers can anyone ID this fellow? Never seems to hurt having dead trees around.
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2008, 04:20:17 pm »
Looks sort of like a Downy, can't see the whole head, is there any red?  May be a ladderback also but they don't have as much white.. :?  I'll check my book when I get home!

Jody
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2008, 05:55:19 pm »
From the size of the beak I'd say it's a Downy Woodpecker.  The Hairy looks just like that, but it's larger and the beak looks like a huge spike! 

Cindi, I'm a nature geek, I love every single thing out there in the natural world and need to know all about it!  I've got books, all kinds of field guides,birding software for the computer, I just can't learn enough.  I know I sound like an encyclopedia sometimes, but it all fascinates me  :)
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Offline Kev

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2008, 08:00:25 pm »
Quote from: reinbeau on March 20, 2008, 05:55:19 pm
From the size of the beak I'd say it's a Downy Woodpecker.  The Hairy looks just like that, but it's larger and the beak looks like a huge spike! 

Cindi, I'm a nature geek, I love every single thing out there in the natural world and need to know all about it!  I've got books, all kinds of field guides,birding software for the computer, I just can't learn enough.  I know I sound like an encyclopedia sometimes, but it all fascinates me  :)

looks like a downy to me, too. I love the Downys. They're chubby. Cindi, nice pic of that red breasted sap sucker. I've never seen one. We have lots of pileated woodpeckers in our woods here.

kev
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2008, 09:51:44 pm »
Lots of downies around here. Just hate it when they peck siding. They can become obsessed w/ siding somedays.
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Offline Kev

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2008, 07:53:01 pm »
Quote from: KONASDAD on March 20, 2008, 09:51:44 pm
Lots of downies around here. Just hate it when they peck siding. They can become obsessed w/ siding somedays.

At least it's not a Pileated pecking the siding  :-D

kev
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2008, 09:09:08 pm »
No kidding, they'd do some damage!  :shock:
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Offline Cindi

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2008, 11:05:24 am »
Ann I love you being the walking encyclopedia, I learn from you too.

MILTA, beautiful picture of the woodpecker, I think it is some species of the Downy Woodpecker too.  We have those too, such pretty little birds.  Have a beautiful and wonderful day, Cindi
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline DennisB

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Re: New to me -- a red breasted woodpecker
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2008, 11:18:45 am »
Cindi,

That Pilated Woodpecker is in our area as well. Since we have 56 acres of oak and hickory we hear a lot of them. What is amazing is what they do to the hickory trees. They peck all of the way around the truck leaving little holes, which then heal up in time leaving a ring or belt  around the tree.  Sometimes you can see it two or three times on one tree.

By the way that little red sapsucker that you took the pics of is one beautiful bird! Imagine what God was saying when he made it. "Here I'll stick a little dab of bright color and over here a lot of red, and on this one....."

Great pics

DennisB
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