Downy Woodpecker

This is a little female, without the small splash of red on the back of the head, for those of you who don't have woodpeckers. I love the black and white pattern on the wings.

Using flash (which I never used to do) seems to be having a bad effect on my photos, producing an unwanted shadow around the edges of the bird in a lot of my pictures and images that are not sharp. I obviously need to do some experimenting and some reading! I saw both Downys today, male and female.

No cropping in this photo, as I was standing very close to the old log that birds were flying down to. Actually, when I first almost reached the log, I discovered two White-tailed Deer trying to lick out the seeds that someone had placed in hollows on the log. Normally, I don't use flash, but today I used it for pretty well all my photos. I stll got plenty of blurry photos that are already in the Recycle Bin! I think this is one of the Downy Woodpeckers that I'm hoping will one day fly down to my hand. I think they have so much character. So small and dainty.

Took a friend to one of my favorite places (Fish Creek Park) this afternoon, mainly to show her the two Great Horned Owls that I was really hoping would be in their usual place. She was thrilled to see not only the two owls but also a Northern Flicker, this little Downy Woodpecker (which was the same one that flew to my hand recently), a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches (eat your heart out, Danny!) and of course all the usual Black-capped Chickadees. As we were leaving the area, a Pileated Woodpecker flew overhead across the road!

Called in at my usual spot in the park this afternoon and had so much fun, not knowing which way to turn as a Downy Woodpecker, a Hairy Woodpecker, a Northern Flicker, Nuthatches and Chickadees came to visit. I had a Hairy on one tree stump, a Downy on the next stump, the Flicker and Nuthatch were on the tree behind me and of course the Chickadees were everywhere. Oh, and my feet were FROZEN from standing in snow and my hands were cold!

This is the little lady who flew down to my hand a couple of times the other week.

The little lady who has sat on my hand. Love the way these Downy Woodpeckers tilt their head sometimes.

I think it's time that I see the Ivory-billed Woodpecker!! Wouldn't that make a great change from my usual little Downy Woodpeckers? Her head feathers are a little sleeker in this photo.