Black-backed Woodpecker

dbriz · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

I posted an American Three-toed Woodpecker the other day. Yesterday I captured images of the other illusive "3-toed" woodpecker in northeastern Minnesota. I have only seen these two in the same area once before; usually in the winter or now, the early spring.

The size of this woodpecker is similar to the Hairy Woodpecker, but they usually don't make the same flight sound as the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. I can usually find them by their distinct "pecking" sounds... similar to the Hairy, but a different rhythm, prying and torque. Their range is similar to the American Three-toed Woodpecker.
The photos were taken with a 50D and the 400mm f/5.6.

Black-backed Woodpecker

edgar-Junior · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

NIce shot!!!!!!!

canonloader · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

Ahhh, I see you got him posted. Wow, he sure is black. I though it would be more of a ladder look with at least some white stripes. Nice looking bird.

dbriz · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

Thank you Edgar and Mitch... the American Three-toed has the "ladder" look and at times looks wider than the black-backed. We have 9 woodpecker species in Minnesota and I have photographed 8 in our area... the only one missing is your avatar... the beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker, which I have never seen here.

joayne · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

Nice shots. I was unaware of this bird. Thanks for the heads up

jgrussell · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

Nice shots -- very black back!!

Stormin_24 · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

Never seen one of these... Thanks for sharing...

marvinthemartian · 29th of March 2009 (Sun)

Wow, what lens did you use for that?

ajosteve · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

That's a great looking pecker...very nice captures!

Morlow · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

Great shots.

andrewhuxman · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

Very nice captures of both Woodpeckers. You guys get all the cool birds up there in Minnesota.

Harvey_G · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

This is the first of the species I have seen. Good shooting and thanks for sharing.

gymell · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

Hey, did you get this at Sax Zim bog? BBW and TTW were pretty reliable to see there, though I didn't get any shots this year of them. They're usually way up in the trees and obscured by all kinds of branches. Looks like you were able to get really close!

dbriz · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

No, but I see the "Sax" listed all the time on the MOU website... I shot these images on our property next to the Superior National Forest.

Thank you all for your kind comments.

gymell · 30th of March 2009 (Mon)

That's cool - no reason to go to the Bog when you can just stay in your own backyard!

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#1
dbriz POTN MILLIONAIRE Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arrowhead of Minnesota Posts: 8,974	Black-backed Woodpecker I posted an American Three-toed Woodpecker the other day. Yesterday I captured images of the other illusive "3-toed" woodpecker in northeastern Minnesota. I have only seen these two in the same area once before; usually in the winter or now, the early spring. The size of this woodpecker is similar to the Hairy Woodpecker, but they usually don't make the same flight sound as the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. I can usually find them by their distinct "pecking" sounds... similar to the Hairy, but a different rhythm, prying and torque. Their range is similar to the American Three-toed Woodpecker. The photos were taken with a 50D and the 400mm f/5.6. Black-backed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker __________________ 7d, 50D, 400mm f/5.6, 300mm f/4, 70-200mm f/4 IS, 50mm f/1.8

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#2
edgar-Junior Goldmember Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,518	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker NIce shot!!!!!!! __________________ Powered by Canon®

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#3
canonloader Cream of the Crop Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Behind A Camera Posts: 52,850 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Ahhh, I see you got him posted. Wow, he sure is black. I though it would be more of a ladder look with at least some white stripes. Nice looking bird. __________________ Mitch- ____...^.^...____ My Microscope Stuff Gear List, My Flash Gallery, My You Tube, Ride My Bi-Sickle War is not about who's right, it's about who's left.

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#4
dbriz POTN MILLIONAIRE Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arrowhead of Minnesota Posts: 8,974	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Thank you Edgar and Mitch... the American Three-toed has the "ladder" look and at times looks wider than the black-backed. We have 9 woodpecker species in Minnesota and I have photographed 8 in our area... the only one missing is your avatar... the beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker, which I have never seen here. __________________ 7d, 50D, 400mm f/5.6, 300mm f/4, 70-200mm f/4 IS, 50mm f/1.8

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#5
joayne Cream of the Crop Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Still @ Coachella Posts: 8,476	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Nice shots. I was unaware of this bird. Thanks for the heads up __________________ joayne POTN Contributions\|Where's Nifty?! #2 \|Worldwide Photo Week gear list

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#6
jgrussell Looking around nervously Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ USA Posts: 18,786 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Nice shots -- very black back!! __________________ -- jgr blog \| gear \| my birds

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#7
Stormin_24 Cream of the Crop Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Southern New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,813	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Never seen one of these... Thanks for sharing... __________________ New Hampshire State Bird: Purple Finch http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/...rple_finch.htm Gear Norman Did they get you to trade, your hero's for ghosts?

29th of March 2009 (Sun)	#8
marvinthemartian Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 30	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Wow, what lens did you use for that?

30th of March 2009 (Mon)	#9
ajosteve Cream of the Crop Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Grand Canyon Arizona Posts: 16,471 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker That's a great looking pecker...very nice captures! __________________ Steve

30th of March 2009 (Mon)	#10
Morlow Goldmember Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Yellowstone National Park Posts: 2,817 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Great shots. __________________ Chris Knapp

30th of March 2009 (Mon)	#11
andrewhuxman Cream of the Crop Join Date: May 2005 Location: Rockford Illinois Posts: 7,435	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Very nice captures of both Woodpeckers. You guys get all the cool birds up there in Minnesota. __________________ A little L goes a long way. Canon 7D,40D, gripped,16-35MM 2.8L,24-105MM F4L,70-200MM 2.8 IS USM L,500MM F4L www.machtwomedia.com

30th of March 2009 (Mon)	#12
Harvey_G Cream of the Crop Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cobourg, Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,287	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker This is the first of the species I have seen. Good shooting and thanks for sharing. __________________ -Harv- Residing in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada Shooting with more great Canon gear than I deserve. I don't need a second childhood. I'm not finished yet with the first one.

30th of March 2009 (Mon)	#13
gymell Goldmember Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bloomington, MN Posts: 3,743 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker Hey, did you get this at Sax Zim bog? BBW and TTW were pretty reliable to see there, though I didn't get any shots this year of them. They're usually way up in the trees and obscured by all kinds of branches. Looks like you were able to get really close! __________________ -Liz My gear list, gallery and Live Feeder Cam Help native birds - discourage house sparrows! Minnesota Master Naturalist - "Explore, Teach, Conserve"

30th of March 2009 (Mon)	#14
dbriz POTN MILLIONAIRE Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arrowhead of Minnesota Posts: 8,974	Re: Black-backed Woodpecker No, but I see the "Sax" listed all the time on the MOU website... I shot these images on our property next to the Superior National Forest. Thank you all for your kind comments. __________________ 7d, 50D, 400mm f/5.6, 300mm f/4, 70-200mm f/4 IS, 50mm f/1.8

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