Pic of the Day

Hairy Woodpecker,  Picoides villosus:

Horse Cove; near Gurley, Alabama

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens:

Horse Cove; near Gurley, Alabama

      Many Hairy vs Downy Woodpecker identification sites mention that Hairy Woodpeckers have all-white outer tail feathers (rectrices), as compared to Downy Woodpeckers whose outer tail feathers have black bars.  What is not mentioned, is that Hairy Woodpeckers may have a few black marks on the outer rectrices[1].  Around my house, all of the Hairy Woodpeckers I have seen, have a few black spots on the outer rectrices also, as shown in this photo. (top)

     Also note that the Hairy Woodpecker's bill length is almost as long as the width of its head, while the length of the Downy Woodpecker's bill length is less than half the width of its head.
I often have to look twice when I see either of these birds at my feeder, and look very carefully at the bird's bill length.  You can't always rely on dark spots on the outer rectrices to separate the two species.

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[1] Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part 1 Columbidae to Ploceidae; Peter Pyle; Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, California; 1997, p189

Top (Hairy Woodpecker):  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/80 second @ f/7.1
Bottom (Downy Woodpecker): Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/160 second @ f/7.1

Pic of the Day

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus:

Horse Cove; Gurley, Alabama

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/800 second @ f8

Pic of the Day

Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus
Horse Cove; Gureley, Alabama

     I shot this female downy about a month ago near my bird feeders.  This female and her mate have successfully hatched a brood, and is bringing them to my bark butter feeder.  Yesterday I saw a young male being fed by the adult male.  Most species of birds raise a couple of broods here in North Alabama.  I suspect that within a few weeks the adults will be back on the nest.

Bark Butter is a product produced by Wild Birds Unlimited.  It is the best way to attract woodpeckers to your feeders.  Click here: http://www.wbu.com/barkbutter/, to find out more about “Bark Butter.”

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/60sec. @ f7.1

Pic of the Day

Gila Woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis:  Gilbert Water Ranch; Gilbert, Arizona

     This Gila Woodpecker was nesting in a giant Saguaro cactus at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Arizona.  The nest was only ten feet off the ground and provided a great opportunity for photography.  I took photos of the male and female as they brought insects, grubs and Saguaro fruit to their young that were nestled inside the nest cavity.

     After taking shots of the birds at the cavity I tried to get some shots as the woodpecker flew to the nest.  I wanted a shot with wings out stretched, and feet reaching out toward the cactus; I wanted the bird in midair.  After a few test shots I upped the ISO to 800 in order to obtain a 1/3200th of a second shutter speed. I could not believe how fast woodpeckers flew as they zipped toward their nest. 

     Standing in the hot sun I shot exposure after exposure trying to catch the wings in just the right position.  No exposure looked right and I was constantly telling myself as the heat intensified, just one more shot to get the wings right.  Again the bird flew to the nest cavity.  I shot a burst of frames, looked at the images and would say to myself, just one more shot.  Soon the woodpecker returned to the cavity and I would get another shot, look at the image and tell myself, just one more shot.

     As the sun climbed, I became hotter and thirstier.  I had finished my bottle of water earlier in the morning and I was so dry I felt like a cowboy from a 1950’s western crossing a desert, dying of thirst.  Standing behind my camera the sun beat down on me with penetrating intensity.  I began to squirm where I was standing, feeling a bit dazed, thinking about the cold bottle of water awaiting me in my van.  But I wanted just one more chance to get the image of the Gila Woodpecker just right. I had come close in previous shots, but close was not what I wanted. 

     Out of the corner of my eye I saw the male Gila fly to the staging perch it had been using all morning.  After perching at the staging point for a few seconds it flew to the nest hole.  I shot a burst of images as the bird took flight, hoping that I had captured the image I wanted so that I would get out of the heat.  I took a quick look at the images and found the shot I sought.  Zooming in on the frame, it looked sharp.  What a relief, I picked-up my camera and tripod then headed to my van for that ice cold bottle of water.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/3,200 second @ f6.3, ISO 800