ON THE WING
Jill Dinsmore

Land of Nursery Rhymes

 Warm September brings the fruit
                Sportsmen then begin to shout

Last week I saw a Red Bellied  woodpecker on the ground below the feeder eating bread which I had put out and I was reminded of how few woodpecker I see any more.  Perhaps it is because of the cat and dog population in our neighborhood or maybe I'm not paying close enough attention during the hours when they feed.  Several years ago, we had Downy, Hairy, Flica's, Red headed, and Red bellied varieties here.  The Downy's would nest in the sweet gum maple tree not 30 feet from the kitchen window.  The yellow shafted flica was one that I always enjoyed, often finding its golden feathers on the ground and seeing its white rump feathers as it flew away.  They are the only brown backed woodpeckers with a black cresent across the breast and a red patch on the nape.  The male has black whiskers and makes a smart appearance.

The Downy and Hairy woodpeckers are the only white backed woodpeckers.  They are almost identical in plumage but the Hairy woodpecker is about 3" larger in size and has a larger bill. Twice, I have been fortunate enough to see a pilated woodpecker, our only creasted variety.  What a sight!  All woodpeckers are beneficial to nature - feeding mostly on insects, such as beetles and ants.  Their chisel like bills and specially designed skull, allows them to hammer on the trees and their long tongue to extract insects which use the woodlands as host.   Two toes point backwards and two point forward which allows them to cling to tree trunks and their stiff tails act as props to hold them upright as they hammer and extract their food.