Busy Downy Woodpeckers

Finally the weather has started warming after an unusually long cold and snowy spell for this area. I watched two male Downy Woodpeckers foraging, busily drilling into tree branches in search of tasty morsels.

The handsome fellow in this pic shows a little brownish cast on it's nasal bristles. I believe this is from the wood particles that have landed on it's face from it's drilling. Check out those toenails--really long so they can cling to a branch or bark of a tree. SeEtta

Downy Woodpecker feeding nestlings

I found this female Downy Woodpecker on the Canon City Riverwalk feeding her nestlings in this nesthole. I could often hear the nestlings calling out to be fed.

While I watched both the male and the female Downy Woodpeckers came in to feed their nestlings. The top pic shows the female with her head in the tree hole as she feeds her nestlings. The bottom pic is a view of that female from the side showing her face fairly well. Note the distinctive white nasal bristles.
SeEtta

Downy Woodpecker

I think that Downy Woodpeckers are probably the best known woodpecker in most areas of the U.S. as they are found throughout most of the country and are generally quite common, often visiting trees in backyards. They are smaller than other North American woodpeckers including the look-alike Hairy Woodpeckers (size is not a good field mark as large Downy Woodpeckers are about the size of small Hairy Woodpeckers).
SeEtta

This female Downy Woodpecker was working hard this morning probing for goodies under tree bark of some big, old cottonwood trees.

SeEtta

Eastern Bluebirds and interesting woodpeckers

During my walk today on the Canon City Riverwalk I found a nice mixed flock consisting of a male and a female Downy Woodpecker, a male Hairy Woodpecker, a White-breasted Nuthatch and 3 Eastern Bluebirds (an unusual species this far west in Colorado).

Interestingly, a male and a female Eastern Bluebird appeared to be checking out some holes a trees near the river. It would certainly be cool, and rare, to have them nest this far west(though there have been documented breeding in Boulder Co).

Also interesting were that both the female Downy Woodpecker and the male Hairy Woodpecker had distal brownish primaries. I have seen Downy Woodpeckers with these brownish feathers before and have been told that woodpeckers with these brown feathers are sometimes seen here.
SeEtta