Probably the father brought his offspring to this backyard suet feeder on a sultry summer day…
I think the most important quality in a birdwatcher is a willingness to stand quietly and see what comes. Our everyday lives obscure a truth about existence — that at the heart of everything there lies a stillness and a light.
~ Lynn Thomson
(Birding with Yeats: A Memoir)
Love seeing all the juveniles these days. The woodpeckers seem to be doing well!
It is fun to watch them discovering the world as their parents stand by and sometimes offer instruction!
I’ve never seen a fledgling Red-bellied Woodpecker. It’s like seeing a black-and-version of an adult. Great shots Barbara … you see so much out your window. It is truly a window to the world and a breath of fresh air during your constant heat and humidity.
I probably would not have known this was a fledgling unless my friend Sally had pointed it out to me! Makes me wonder how many fledglings I did not know I was seeing in the past. This sighting wasn’t out my window, but I have seen cardinal, Carolina wren, and bluebird fledglings outside my own windows.
I’ve probably seen fledglings and just thought they were a bird I’ve never seen before. My Bird Life List is somewhat big, but not extensive like yours and I’ve yet to see a Carolina Wren or a Bluebird.
The last new life bird I saw was a yellow-bellied sapsucker in February, and before that, a brown-headed nuthatch way back in April 2024. Sightings are getting fewer and farther in between.
I haven’t seen any new birds in a long time. I finally got out last week when we had those four coolish days, but I didn’t see any songbirds and I hope that is not because of the wildfire smoke the week before. I did see two, new-to-me butterflies, a Giant Swallowtail (that I thought was a bird at first) and an Eyed Brown (poor thing missing all of one hindwing), plus a Skipper, so that was a treat. I also encountered Deer Flies, something I’ve never seen and hope to never see or deal with again. They were all over, biting like crazy. I thought they were small moths initially – Google told me otherwise.
Your woodpecker is very similar to mine. I have a family of Golden-fronted Woodpeckers who come several times a day to my hummingbird feeder on my front porch. The male love to announce his arrival. The female is quietly shy. Jr is still trying to figure out the best way to land on the feeder system. The spring I had several three varieties of hummingbirds. Only one female Ruby-throated is visiting daily. I suspect due to the drought fewer insects for the usual amount of hummingbirds this year.
Glad to hear that you are getting around visiting friends, family and grocery shopping.
So nice to hear from you, Teri! I had never heard of a golden-fronted woodpecker before and enjoyed learning about them. You’re lucky to see them in Texas there. I always find studying bird range maps interesting because there are so many unique species that only live in a few states. I remember red-bellied woodpeckers announcing their arrivals, too, back in Connecticut. They loved the suet feeder, but your woodpecker likes the hummingbird feeder. Hope your drought isn’t too bad. Ours reached the “exceptional” stage but it’s been raining a lot lately so I hope to see that drought level go down soon. And I hope all is as well as can be expected with you and Yorkie. 🙏
Nice photos!
I was watching a male cardinal appearing to try to teach a young fledgling the other evening – he zipped back and forth from tree to tree, always returning to the young one. It was interesting to watch, but I didn’t get any photos.
Thank you, Karma! I have a friend who does all her bird watching with binoculars and never takes a picture. For me, the pictures help me to remember what I’ve seen, even years ago. But sometimes we catch something like your cardinal with its fledgling and we can simply enjoy the moment without photos.
So wonderful to see your red-headed woodpeckers at the suet feeder, Barbara. I really liked the quote, too, because as a birdwatcher of many decades now, I have found the ability I have acquired of standing quietly and waiting has been a profoundly useful tool in life. Lovely to “visit” you today, Barbara, take care.
I love how ornitherapy helps us to cultivate patience, one of those tools so useful in all other aspects of our lives. When I think of the many birds from all over the world that you’ve been privileged to see over the years, it reminds me how wonderful the rewards of mindful birding can be. I’m so grateful, Jet, that you share those experiences with us.
Your kind words were a wonderful way to start my day today, Barbara, thank you so much.
🙏