“Downy woodpecker on hummingbird feeder” 2012 © Emily B. Maurer
Motionless in our rocking chairs, we watched the female Downy woodpecker ascend the mock orange bush in fits and starts. Finally it flitted to the hummingbird feeder suspended from the overhead porch beam. The bird clung to the circular plastic perch and made an attempt to peck at the feeding port before righting itself and inserting its bill into the tiny opening to savor the sugary fluid. Seemingly unfraid, it continued to feed, paying us no mind. After a minute it finally flitted away to the pines.
This is the first year we have witnessed a woodpecker at the hummingbird feeder.
In tough economic times, even the birds adapt.
“Downy woodpecker” 2012 © Emily B. Maurer
