This is my first time every having a hairy woodpecker at the suet. When I saw it I thought I was seeing a giant downy. The viewing sent me to the bird book and I realized it wasn't a freak of nature. The red markings on a hairy are like two brush strokes of red not like the male downy which has a full bar of red on the back of its head. When I read that the hairy is the size of a robin I knew that is what I saw.
Going back and looking at these pictures I can see the face of the hairy is a lot like a raccoon with a black mask marking over each eye. The downy's mask is a little different and smaller. The bird book said I would rarely see them but I have other bloggers who say that they see them often. I will be keeping my eye for the big bird again.
4 comments:
I hope he keeps coming back. Now that he has found the suet, he probably will. We have a pair who frequent ours. They're sweet birds.. curious and bold much like the Downy.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
Like the Hairy! We occasionally see both here. Happy New Year Larry!
Pretty woodpecker! We have them here too. In this cold weather they go through the food and suet fast. Happy New Year, Larry!
Judy
The size of a robin? How amazing. I always think of woodpeckers as bigger birds, which some of them are.
Happy New Year, Larry.
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