Monday, October 17, 2011

Baby Downy Woodpeckers visited us this summer...

This summer two baby Downy Woodpeckers spent a lot of time in our backyard and outside my kitchen window. It was a special time watching the babies learn how to hunt insects on their own and nab peanuts from the peanut feeders. Hopefully I'll see them through the winter...

...a sleepy-eyed baby Downy Woodpecker rests on a dead willow branch to watch what was going on around her (later during the summer, the entire dead section of the tree, including this branch, came tumbling down. During the winter our Cooper's Hawk and our Red-shouldered Hawk perch in the dead tree, giving us fantastic views of them, but no more. We already miss the dead part of our half-dead Weeping Willow tree).

...she decided to soak up a few rays of sunshine and remained in this splayed-wing posture for a minute or so!

...a juvenile male Downy Woodpecker stakes out his peanut claim!

Female baby Downy Woodpecker

Male baby Downy Woodpecker

18 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

they sure are cuties! :) sorry about that tree, though! i hate losing a great perch!

Guy said...

Hi Kelly

Great photos I have never seen young woodpeckers it was a real treat.

Regards
Guy

Montanagirl said...

They are such cute little critters. Nice photos as always!

Carole M. said...

:) bought a smile on; how totally adorable; great photos.

Cuby said...

I have just joined as a follower and will add you to blogs I like. Woodpeckers are quite hard to see here and these pics of the babies are really special. :-)

Dan Huber said...

wonderful photos. I love the Downy's, especially the young - so cute

dan

KaHolly said...

Sweet babies!! But how disappointing about the tree. Love your photos! ~karen

Kathy A. Johnson said...

These babies are adorable. Hope you don't lose all your perches for your feathered visitors!

Alan Pavey said...

Lovely pics, a real privilege to be able to watch them develop I'm sure :-)

Unknown said...

Absolutely stunning sequence!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Gillian Olson said...

These little guys are beautiful. Great pictures, thaks for sharing these.

holdingmoments said...

Lovely shots Kelly.
Hope they continue to visit.

Carol Mattingly said...

It sounds like you have a forest in your backyard Kelly. These guys are so cute. Carol

grammie g said...

Hi Kelly...I love the woodpecker family!!
These are great shots of the Downy!!

Grace

Unknown said...

Cool photos love those woodpeckers...Im painting some right now in fact (on wood )

Kelly said...

...thanks, everyone for the kind words! These two young Downies were adorable. I especially loved it when they showed up outside my kitchen window, pecking away at the peanut dispenser.

Wanda..... said...

We had two young ones that visited the feeders together here also, Kelly. Hope to see them closer up on the back porch, where we feed them in the winter.

Mary said...

Yes, I'm a tad bit late commenting on these wonderful juvie Downy pics and your post. Oh how I hate to lose the special tree limbs that many birds seem to use often. I keep them propped up in one of the obscure corners of my backyard. Since the wood is rotted, woodpeckers,as well as some other birds, use them to hollow out perfect cavity,nesting spots for themselves. Limbs with lichen growing on them are even better. Lichen is a great material for hummingbirds, which is used to make their specially designed nests. Perhaps I'm a bit odd, but I love the look and especially the color of lichen. It always helps me to have a few pieces around to study, so that I can recreate the texture and hues to aid in my watercolor paintings. Aside from the benefits of my paintings, I'd always rather capture an image of a bird perched on a branch than on my bird feeders when out with my camera. I can't tell you how much I enjoy all aspects of your blog, especially the watercolors. Thanks you for all the inspiration! Mary