Red-bellied Woodpecker

Hello everyone, after hearing this guy all winter long, finallyHe has made an appearance. He has been chattering around the neighborhood for some time and is unusually colorful, I guess looking for a mate, have not seen a female as of yet. Here are a few of one of the prettier Woodies....As Al said, you can see for once the Red belly they get their name from, in summer and most times, it is a little stripe down very low, Thanks Al

1/400, f/5.6, ISO 320, 13.1m away

Outstanding shots of a truly beautiful woodpecker, Bret. And one can actually see the red belly for once. That last shot is great, but I'd be tempted to put some Photoshop skills to use and get rid of his mouthful of food. Come to think of it, we had a female red-belly appear a couple winters ago, they are rare in our area, and I got a good shot of it, but it had a big snag of suet hanging from it's bill. Not anymore, though!
Al

Excellent series Bret, VERY nice detail and color.

Dear Bret,

That is a very nice series of shots. Thanks for posting them, they give me something to aim for.

I don't know where you live but around here after goldfinches, house finches, and sparrows woodpeckers of various species are probably my most common visitors. A double barreled suet cage and plenty of pine trees make for happy woodpeckers.

I am fortunate to get Downy's, Red bellied, and Pileated woodpeckers and I really enjoy watching them so much that I often just look out the kitchen window and leave the camera in the bag.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

glad he showed- nicely captured

Great shots Bret.

Wow Bret.
Those last 3 are superb.
Not that the rest arent great too.

Breathtaking, Bret. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, consider it yours.
It is quality, composition, and clarity like this that I long to emulate.
Masterfully done.

Awesome pics!

Excellent shots Bret!

Wow! Just can't say enough at how good these shots are. The bar is raised again.

Bret,
Very nicely done.

Since I have dozens of the Red Bellies in my yard daily the quality of these shots are truly appreciated. The detail and colors have been captured very well, even the red eye in all of them. And I was nearly satisfied with my shots of the RB, until now. These Woodpeckers rule over all other birds at my feeders except the N Flicker and Raptors, even the Blue Jays wait their turn patiently behind the Red Bellies.

Great shots.

Fantastic group of captures Bret!
You not only captured the bird exquisitely, but managed to show some of his personality too. I had to laugh at the 2nd image...a look seen very often
The "horizontals" (#'s 4 & 6) are great! They do manage amazing acrobatic feats don't they. I'd have to guess that somewhere in the beak filled with suet he's smiling too. At least it looks that way to me. Awesome job as always!