Red Bellied Woodpecker - Trail Cam Capture

Woodsman

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Outside Peterborough, Ontario Canada
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This is a heavy crop from a trail cam capture today so the quality is poor. I was very excited to see this guy on the camera shots. I have never seen one here before and a local naturalist says to see one this far north is very very rare.

It is always exciting to be surprised and see something new on the camera. Last year it was our first possum going across the trail cams field of view.

Red Bellied Woodpecker TCam 20151124 by Woody Woodsman, on Flickr
 
FYI, Red Belly Woodies like suet. Put a couple of cakes out to keep them around. They are fickle, very wary and will spook at the drop of a hat. They also have a very distinctive call. I have several pairs hitting my backyard feeders, along with a few other woodpecker species. In my area, it is rare to see them on the ground, unlike Northern Flickers. Congratz on the capture.
 
I sure hope he comes to our feeders. I have black oil sunflower seed feeders out as well as a Suet block feeder and I have pairs of Downys, Hairys and Nuthatch coming to both off an on all day along with blue jays and chickadees and ground feeders like cardinals and Juncos. I expect the redpoles will arrive soon too. I will be watching the feeders for sure for the red bellied to come over but I think the activity is just too busy with other birds and he may not like that. I have yet to see the Hairys or Downys on the ground like this guy though.
 
If you're attentive, you will notice the distinctive call of the RBW. They are most likely, at least in my area, to squawk a bit, clinging on the trunk of a nearby tree, before they hit the feeders. Then they look all around before diving into dinner. I too use black oiled sunflower seed as well as a few cakes of suet. I've seen the RBW hit both. In my area, the woodpeckers have been the red belly, downy, hairy, red headed, pileated (no photos) and yellow bellied sap suckers.
 
Nice! I've only ever seen them in pictures. The activity around your feeders sounds the same as mine, except exchange Blue Jays for Stellar's and cardinals for Towhees.
 

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