Downy Woodpecker at a park feeder

This photo was taken two days ago, on 31 March 2016, on a birding walk in North Glenmore Park and Weaselhead as far as the green, metal bridge. No sign of the sun until our walk was over. When I opened my front door, I realized just how gloomy it was outside, with dark grey clouds filling the sky. Temperature was 3C to 5C. Far from a good day to take photos, but we were still quite lucky with the bird and mammal species we saw.

We split into three groups, going in different directions, but still eventually covering the same locations. My group looked out over the Glenmore Reservoir and then drove through the park to the Crowchild Stormwater Ponds. After we returned to the main parking lot, we walked down into Weaselhead, crossing the green, metal bridge, and then walked back up the long hill.

Everyone enjoyed watching a few different birds, including this little Downy Woodpecker, feeding at a cluster of feeders in North Glenmore Park.

"The active little Downy Woodpecker is a familiar sight at backyard feeders and in parks and woodlots, where it joins flocks of chickadees and nuthatches, barely outsizing them. An often acrobatic forager, this black-and-white woodpecker is at home on tiny branches or balancing on slender plant galls, sycamore seed balls, and suet feeders. Downies and their larger lookalike, the Hairy Woodpecker, are one of the first identification challenges that beginning bird watchers master." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id/


I will add the list of species compiled by our leaders:

Canada Goose-40
Trumpeter Swan-25
American Wigeon-3.
Mallard-20
Green-winged Teal-1 m(ale).
Bufflehead-1
Common Goldeneye-50
Common Merganser-80
Bald Eagle-1, imm(ature) unsuccessfully trying to capture a Common Goldeneye.
Northern Goshawk-1
Ring-billed Gull-50
California Gull? - 4
Herring Gull-2+
Great Horned Owl-2
Downy Woodpecker-4
Northern Flicker-7+. 5 in Wslhd parking lot, landing on utility pole.
Blue Jay-9, in one group at parking lot
Black-billed Magpie-12
American Crow-8
Common Raven-2
Black-capped Chickadee-30
Red-breasted Nuthatch-7
White-breasted Nuthatch-2
American Robin-5+
American Tree Sparrow-3
Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco-3
House Finch-4
White-winged Crossbill-50+
Common Redpoll-1
Pine Siskin-30
American Goldfinch-1 heard.

Coyote-1
Red Squirrel-2
Eastern Gray Squirrel-1, with lots of rufous on ears, neck and legs, suggestive of Fox Squirrel.
Least Chipmunk-3
Snowshoe Hare-1

After the walk, friend Sandy and I went for lunch at a nearby cafe. A savoury crepe and welcome coffee really hit the spot. Great to get the chance to chat with you and catch up on news, Sandy!