My red bellied woodpeckers have returned, and more brilliant in color. They're enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds from the feeder outside my bedroom window. Excuse my neighbor's truck in the background. For some reason, he's made the backyard his driveway.
The woodpecker at the top appears to be a Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which is becoming an endangered species in the U.S, or a Downy woodpecker. They love pine trees, and fortunately I have a roll of pines along my back property. I need to add some peanuts to my feeder since they love these little nuggets.
Do you help nature feed our feathered friends? Check out my birdseed cookies. Make a batch with your children or grandchildren this fall or winter, the birds will be grateful and the children will have fun making them.
We do feed the birds here. We have four species of woodpeckers that feed on the suet cakes: the downy black, with white stripes and red spot on the back of his head; the hairy woodpecker, looking almost like the downy but larger, flickers, that look similar to the red bellied but with more orange; and two years ago we had a red bellied, but he did not return last year. These other 3 are about the garden year round although we don't see them so much. I used to make a peanut butter lard cake, but it was so expensive to make; now we buy them at the feed store for about a dollar apiece and the wood peckers seem to like them. Great photos, despite the truck.
ReplyDeleteI've never used the suet cakes, but plan to purchase some for the winter. Can get them pretty cheap at Tractor Supply. This the first time that I've seen the Red-bellied woodpeckers here, but the Downy is pretty common. Hoping for a new camera so I can get better shots, but too many other things on the list now. Maybe Santa will bring me one.
DeleteThose are great! Nice to see them up close.
ReplyDeleteThanks, these of some of my best shots of my feathered friends.
ReplyDeleteWe have to take down the bird feeder we have in the front yard. It was broke by a storm that came through. I'll probably hang up a couple of suet cakes this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try the suet cakes this winter. Never used them before, but the birds apparently love them. I've seen them pretty cheap at Tractor Supply.
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