Description

I was about to photograph this female Red-bellied Woodpecker on my feeder, when a Blue Jay flew in to use the feeder. The only shot that I got of the Red-belly before she flew off was her reaction as the jay flew in above her head.
After the Blue Jay left the feeder, I waited a few minutes and the female Red-belly returned to resume her interrupted snack. She barely had time to pick up one seed kernel when a Grackle came zooming in to dominate the feeder. Naturally, the poor woodpecker objected to, once again, having to give up her turn at the feeder, but I got a second nice reaction shot.
This story has a happy ending, for, after the Grackle fed and left, the female woodpecker came back again and ate, without interruption, to her complete satisfaction.

Category

Woodpeckers & Sapsuckers

Species

• Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tags

• feeder
• female
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Melanerpes carolinus
• 25May2014