As I opened the blinds in the living room this morning, the first thing
that caught my eye was Woody, the red-bellied woodpecker.
He was extremely busy moving nuts and seeds from the bird feeder
to crevices in the nearby crusty tree bark. Each short flight he alighted
a few inches higher than the previous landing on the trunk, tucking
his treasure into a ridge until he was high up the tree.
I went out later to check the situation but only saw a few empty
seeds still stuck in the bark.
Could the squirrels have come behind Woody and stolen his stash?
Such are the wonders of nature.
Did you steal Woody's stash?
Heaped on the ground, the last of the fig tree leaves have fallen in grey crinkled piles.
They are not pretty - in fact Bob says they look like old women's winkled faces!
That hurt!!!
Forgive the somewhat unsharp pictures - my windows definitely need cleaning!
Another addition to the ever growing to do list as the Christmas holidays approach!
Another addition to the ever growing to do list as the Christmas holidays approach!
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The woodpeckers at the farm have been very active lately and very vocal. I did not know they were stashing food away like squirrels. I'm quite sure the squirrels and other little birdie thieves are stealing his stash.
ReplyDeleteYour woodpecker looks to be a cheerful, handsome fellow. He doesn't seem to be too worried about the absence of his seeds. I wonder who took them? That cheeky squirrel who looks so innocent? A fun post, Mary.
ReplyDeleteMary...these are wonderful pictures. I've never seen pictures of a native woodpecker outside of nature magazines and even though you snapped them from your window they are just awesome. And such a pretty bird! So darn cute, too, with his long beak. I hope he doesn't starve if those clever little squirrels are sneaking the seeds!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
Jane x
We have a wood pecker who frequents our trees, but I've never been successful at getting a photo. I think they are beautiful birds. Great shots!
ReplyDeletefabulous pictures, dirty windows or not. How fantastic you can see them so close. We can hear them near to our house and occasionally see them them fly from tree to tree . The cheeky squirrel sounds very likely to be the culprit.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary, You caught Woody Woodpecker just right. And look at all the pretty green leaves and pretty red flowers you still have in your garden.
ReplyDeleteYou asked about the falling snow affect. A quick Google search came up with many and easy directions. Try Pho-to or snazzyspace.com/image effects/christmas.
Be sure to finish editing your photo first or you will lose the falling snow.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out that your cute little squirrel is the thief. Good thing they are so cute, or else.... :).
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy the shots you capture from your window.
Enjoy your weekend. Hooray for the sunshine!
Mary, a little tip in case you didn't know .... The woodpeckers greatly enjoy a suet feeder, as well as numerous other birds. The fat helps them through the winter. A few winters ago, I actually saw a Pileated woodpecker partaking of the suet I had put out. I have three bluebirds that are currently enjoying my suet feeder, and have been wondering if they were part of the family which were on my patio this summer. I had great fun watching the parents build the nest, all the way through to the time the three babies fledged the nest. Made pictures of the entire sequence of events. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy for reminding me to pick up more suet - I do have a feeder for it and usually have it filled as many birds (and unfortunately the squirrels of course!) love nibbling. Yes, familiar with the Pileated woodpecker too - we have them now and then in the back garden where there are many large old trees - I love them.
DeleteI wish you had a blog and we could see your baby bluebirds - they are so pretty. Our bluebird family nests in our old birdhouse every year - sometimes I get pix of the parents popping in and out!
Happy holidays - thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.
Mary -