It is snowing again on the mountain. I had just come in from picking the new metal birdfeeders up off of the ground, putting them back together (sigh, the never ending battle with the bears. Aren’t they suppose to be sleeping?) and filling them. Standing at the kitchen sink contemplating buying more of the broomstick hooks to get the feeders higher in the trees, I saw a flash of red. A Red-bellied Woodpecker was flying to a feeder, selecting a sunflower seed then hopping to the tree to peck it open. I took these shots through the glass of the French door to the deck. (Notice the White-breasted Nuthatch on the right of the tree? That was a surprise.)
He methodically hopped back and forth from feeder to tree for several minutes;
when, from out of the swirling snow, another male Red-bellied flew straight at him, taking him by surprise. They both flew off unscathed and did not come back. I have never seen this behavior. Heck, I have never seen two male Red-bellied Woodpeckers in my backyard although I have a resident pair that nest on the property. I guess one was an interloper.
Have you seen woodpeckers brawling?
Stumble It!
Behind the Bins 