• Tuesday-What'sUP November 20 - 10:05 pm

Ken Scheibach spotted several Downy Woodpeckers (or maybe the same one), doing what they do best, foraging for food as they get ready for the winter months that are on their way. Sometimes these little birds find their nourishment the natural way, by looking for insects in trees and branches. Other times they decide to dine out and head to the local suet feeder to fill their tummy. Either way, they have short, straight, chisel-like bills that make it easy to grab the bugs or get in between the holes on the mesh feeders. In case you didn't know, these two pictured today are both males, sporting the red patch at the back of the head. The females are identical, except for that red spot. Click on over to the following link, if you'd like to hear the song they sing and the tap, tap, tapping they make too: Downy Woodpecker song.

Such cute birds!

I alway admire those who can identify birds by their sounds. Know some folks in Ellison Bay, Door County, who just floor me they're so well versed. Don and Louise at The Clearing. And aren't the woodpeckers neat to watch and hear?

We have had much activity at our feeders the past couple of days! Is there a big storm coming?

Very cool pictures. Thank you, Ken S and Mary. They remind me a little bit of good, ole' Woody (the Woodpecker), early this morning.

We saw geese flying south yesterday morning. I think we may be having our first snow of the year here on Thanksgiving Day.

I hope your weather is good for your treks to Grandmother's house, over the river and through the woods, Everyone, or whatever your destination! Happy Thanksgiving, a couple of days early!

I love "lone bird" pictures. We do not have such beautiful sights down here.

I like woodpeckers also. Those are great shots.

My husband is one of those who can identify the birds by their sounds. Wish I could do that.

A bird in the UP is worth two in the bush.

Thank you to Ken and the people who are either so creative or so patient that they can get great photos like this. I'm lovin' it.

I love woodpeckers, too. We get suet free at our local chain grocery store and the woodpeckers "flock" to it. We have downys, ladder-backs, and red-headed down here at our suet. I'll never forget seeing the TWO pileateds on my birch tree at the cottage this summer. They were 5 or less feet from my living room window. That would have been some picture, two close-up pileated woodpeckers with Lake Superior right behind them! Guess I'll just have to remember it in my mind, as when I tried to stealthily move for the camera, they flew.

We have had a family of pileated woodpeckers coming for suet all summer with the young one demanding to be fed endlessly like a teenager. My wife caught this picture of the pair sitting on the fence below the feeder when junior swooped in between them and demanded to be fed.

We have Downy's here (NE ILL) but I have never seen a Pileated in nature. Thanks for the awesome pix!

When we lived in Red Jacket, we had plenty of woodpeckers to go around; Downy, Hairy, and Pileated. We also had Flickers and even a Sapsucker a few times. NW of Houston we only have a very noisy Red-Headed Woodpecker that comes to our suet. We sure don't get the variety of birds here though, mostly Cardinals, Doves, and Sparrows but I guess they are better than pigeons!!

I have to admit I too can identify most birds by their song in the woods; drives the Dr. nuts at times.....

I have a pair of Downys that keep two suet feeders empty. You can see them in my gallery along with lots more.

Pete Wilberding

Nice pics Ken!

Pete I just checked your gallery, nice photos. Of course I especially love the cat pics. Can you tell me where your photos of the old farmhouse was. I took a few years ago and loved these even better. Tried doing an oil painting of it. Would like to do more snaps if/when I get there again. This printer won't copy your picture for me. "Photo too complex" it says. What!? That's why i don't get along well with computers!

I love the woodpeckers because they hang around my suet feeders all winter. I see the red-bellied, the downy, and the hairy woodpeckers. No pileateds around here!