January 26th, 2007. Great Pond Meadow, Hatfield, MA. Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Juvenile. This young Red-headed Woodpecker, found by Frank Bowrys on January 24th, was a splendid prize on the coldest day of the winter so far. It was only about ten degrees fahrenheit this afternoon with a gusty wind taking the wind-chill factor down to below zero. The woodpecker, not surprisingly, stayed on the sheltered side of the tree trunks catching what little warmth there was in the afternoon sun. The bird had evidently been in the area for a while as I watched retrieve stashed acorns from a dead snag. Hopefully this prepared food supply with get it through the coldest days of the winter. A very beautiful bird with extensive pale fringes across the upperparts and even on the primaries giving the bird a frosty appearance. Rather rare in the Connecticut River Valley, perhaps of less than annual occurrence. A Northern Flicker was also in the area. Images taken using Canon Powershot A540 through Swarovski HD telescope. |
    Red-headed Woodpecker - juvenile, working the rotting fence posts as well as the trees.  |