Woodpeckers aplenty

While sitting in the den looking out the big window into the back yard, and meandering around the back yard examining what nature has to offer, I’ve noticed a lot of things that differentiate this spring from last. There are far more flowers, buds, and growth on the plants and trees. Everything is growing like crazy. I guess this beautiful spring with all the rain has made a big difference.

I’m also seeing a lot more ants, worms, squirrels, and birds. In particular, I’ve noticed more red-bellied woodpeckers than in the past. I guess it has been a good year so far for them. And they love the pecans trees around our yard. It’s fun to watch them move around the trees really quickly, hanging upside down at times, snatching up all the tasty bugs that are living in the trees. These boogers are fast too. I’ve been trying to get a decent photo of one of them for a few weeks now. It’s proving to be a difficult task. Red-bellied woodpeckers seem to be uncomfortable with human presence. More so than a lot of other birds that will tolerate me sitting on the back porch or poking my head out the window wielding a big ole hunk of black metal that looks like a canon.

I’m still working on getting closer and closer to these birds. Once they get to know me they get a little more comfortable. I haven’t gotten any near as close as I’d like, and a bird blind may be required to get any closer. Here’s about the closest I’ve been able to get so far, and this is cropped to get in a little closer. It’s not the greatest photo, but I just love the colors and designs on these birds. Hopefully with all the red-bellied woodpeckers spending their time foraging in my back yard, I’ll be able to get a little closer to one of these beauties.

Red-bellied woodpecker in a pecan tree