Male Downy Woodpecker – Nikon D810, f8, 1/200, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I was delighted to spot this male Downy Woodpecker in the willows the last time I went out to Farmington Bay Bird Refuge. There aren’t many trees at Farmington Bay but along the road to Goose Egg Island there are a few and this time of the year when the leaves are falling there are times I see these tiny woodpeckers in them. Some times I hear their calls before I even see them or the sound of them pecking on the wood while they search for prey but this time I saw the bird without hearing a thing.
Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers in North America and are seen from coast to coast.
Photographing Downy Woodpeckers can be challenging because of the high contrast of their black and white plumage and because they are usually tucked away under the canopy of the trees which means there are often obstructions in front of the birds. Of the 70 images I took of this downy there were only a few that did not have leaves or branches obscuring part of the bird.
Life is good. Enjoy the day!
Mia
Click here to see more of my Downy Woodpecker photos plus facts and information about this species.
What a great shot – I miss woodpeckers – we don’t have them in Australia!
Cheers – Stewart M – Melbourne
After an intensely frustrating morning, I needed this little charmer. Thank you.
Great picture! Thanks 🙂
A wonderful image of this handsome bird, one of my favorites. My in-laws live in the Bountiful foothills, so I often watched them raising their family. Very brave as they were sometimes just 8 or 9 feet away.
Wonderful Detail and to use your word, a Delightful Photograph.!
Superb photograph of the handsome little devil! Not only do they usually hide within the canopy, they seem to be almost constantly on the move.
Very nice work, Mia, getting such great exposure as well as the fine detail!
And hard to photograph because they seem to be always on the move!
Great capture!