Red-headed Woodpeckers: My Summer Guests

On July 1, 2022, I had the good fortune to watch four Red-headed Woodpeckers (three adults and one juvenile) feeding in the sky above my backyard. Like most woodpeckers, red-heads hammer tree trunks for insects but can also catch them midair or “on the wing.” 

My visitors mostly perched on the high and exposed dead limbs of two black locust trees. From here they alternately swept into the air, catching this or that unsuspecting insect and promptly returning to the same or a new perch. I watched their aerial exploits for about twenty minutes before the group decided to move on—but not before I was witness to one adult feeding the juvenile. I did get a photo of the pair though not of the food exchange.  

Then, on July 4, two red-headed adults returned to my yard. Again, I grabbed my binoculars and sat down on the deck to enjoy the show. Today is July 10 . . . and I’m wondering if any or all will come back soon!

 

Till next time . . . Keep birds in your heart.