Wildlife Weekend :: Gorgeous Redhead

I've been really enjoying the bird feeder that hangs on our oh-so-attractive basketball stand outside the kitchen window. The bird feeder is my ray of light on an otherwise horribly unattractive apparatus. Besides the cardinal pair that I photographed previously, I've also seen a blue jay pair and several doves. At least now when I'm peering through the kitchen drapes, Farmer B can't accuse me of peeping at the neighbors. I've got the birdfeeder as my excuse now.


Yesterday morning I saw a red-bellied woodpecker on the feeder. As soon as I went outside to get a better photo of him, he flew away. Such is life. It's a lot better than the Pileated Woodpecker who single-handedly pecked down the tree in our back yard last year. At least this little guy seems less destructive. Did you know that Red-bellied Woodpeckers are attracted to noises that resonate? The male will tap loudly on metal gutters, aluminum roofs and even vehicles to attract a mate. Who knew they were doing that to impress the ladies? I always thought they thought they were on a tree and just weren't smart enough to realize it wasn't wood. It's good to find out you're wrong sometimes.