Look, A Woodpecker!

Hairy Woodpecker - male

While on a walk along a nearby trail, we hear the familiar hammering sound by a woodpecker securing food. Tap, tap, tap.

They’re very elusive and flutter from one location to another tapping and extracting grubs with their extremely long, flexible tongues. I’ve learnt through researching the Hairy Woodpecker, a common bird throughout North America, that their creative tapping starts off gently, which helps them detect the exact location of the food. In contrast, when tapping to declare their territory, they cling to a dry limb and tap rapidly, building up to a loud drumming and then fading away.

I was thrilled to have one sit for a moment on a tree branch. I put the binoculars to my eyes and memorised the male's red patch at the base of his crown, his light underparts, and white back with black wings and white spots. His scraggly black tail had white outer feathers. All of a sudden, he let out a loud, sharp peek! And then another. He flew off.

We didn’t spot the female but know that she looks similar but doesn’t sport the red patch.

Hairy Woodpecker - female

Nature opens our hearts. 

Photos courtesy of Joachin Ruhstein