NATURE TIME

[spatch]

The Downy Woodpecker: Nature's Little Alarm Clock

Shown: A downy woodpecker in its natural habitat; some nature website.
Not Shown: The little feller who decided to go to work on the top corner eaves this morning. He flew off when I opened the kitchen window. He hopped around on a branch nearby all indignant and went back to work while I went for the camera.

We made eye contact when I leaned out the open window. He gave a disgruntled cheep then flew off, and has not been back since which is a shame since now I have my camera all ready. If he does come back though maybe I ought to let the cat make eye contact next. Not that the cat can reach him or anything. But someone apparently needs to know who's boss around here. RECOGNIZE THIS, LIL FELLA? IT'S A PREDATORY SHAPE! (Meanwhile, Mr. 20 Pound Throw Rug will squirm uncomfortably in my arms and decide he wants to be doing anything else at the moment.)

It might be a hairy woodpecker. It could be. I didn't get a good beak-to-head ratio which is one of the differences between the two that Mr. Nature Website told me about. It's just as well, because I ain't about to go typing "hairy woodpecker" into GIS all willy-nilly.

Comments

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

Downy and hairy woodpeckers are notoriously hard to tell apart. One is a bit larger than the other, which doesn't help unless they are both in the same place. Apparently the rhythm of pecking is different between species, but who can keep that in their heads. I can't. (I know of someone who can, but he is a Serious Birder....)

[spatch]

I'm pretty sure I had the pecking rhythm down since I heard it a lot.

In fact, I think it was Morse Code for "ha ha ha HA ha" or something.

Nah, it was mostly three or four quick raps with a small break in between. So he's saying SHSHSHSHSHSHSHSH a lot.

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

You could probably do a web search on it if you cared.... If you do, let me know. :-)