Dryobates pubescens
Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest North American Woodpecker. Downy Woodpeckers have black and white upperparts, white underparts, black tails with white outer tail feathers spotted with bars of black.
When this female Downy Woodpecker showed up at the suet feeder in such dramatic light and shadows, I knew I wanted to photograph her to showcase her beauty.
I'm sharing a simple photo of a female Downy Woodpecker this morning that I took yesterday. But is the image all that simple for me? It isn't, not really.
Imagine you are a young Downy Woodpecker, just a couple of months old. You fly to a suet feeder to get food to eat and suddenly get hit by another woodpecker.
It started off rainy yesterday morning, but later on, I was delighted to take images of female and male Downy Woodpeckers from the comfort of Steve's deck.
Yesterday, my window was open. It was a rainy, dreary day, and I found myself inexplicably feeling down. I heard the distinctive calls of a Downy Woodpecker.
I thought this young male Downy Woodpecker, with bits of suet on his bill, was a striking bird, and that's why I decided to share this photo today.
When I photographed this immature Downy Woodpecker yesterday in my friend Steve's yard I didn't think I'd get two photos with its tongue sticking out. But I did!
I like having my windows open so I can hear the sounds of birds when I can't be in the field. It helps me to hear them especially when the world is so crazy.
A few weeks ago while up in the Wasatch Mountains I was able to see and photograph an immature male Downy Woodpecker as it foraged for food in willows and while clinging to a Common Mullein.
When I noticed the Downy Woodpecker moving towards the front part of the tree I changed my focus to it and waited to see if he would come out into the open and when it did I was ready to takes images of him.
Who knew that Downy Woodpeckers have eyes the color of a fine Cognac? I didn't until I took this Downy Woodpecker close up in the Wasatch Mountains one month ago.
I was delighted to spot this male Downy Woodpecker in the willows the last time I went out to Farmington Bay Bird Refuge.
I want to thank Neil Paprocki for sharing information about Al Larson and the upcoming film The Bluebird Man, I have learned a lot from the web site and through my interview with Neil and I am all for learning more about the wonderful natural world around me.
The geological features of Capitol Reef National Park are amazing. About 75 miles of the 100 mile long monocline known as the Waterpocket Fold are within the park's boundaries extending from Lake Powell north to the Thousand Lake Plateau.