A gathering of late winter woodpeckers
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The past couple of weeks we've seen an incredible amount of avian activity taking place, species ranging from songbirds to raptors. Among the wide variety were a number of woodpeckers, like the red-bellied woodpecker pictured above. He had been hard at work before sensing my presence and then abruptly snapped to attention.
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After several minutes he decided it was safe to get back to the business at hand.
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Pileated wood peckers have been frequent visitors throughout the winter. This is the first frontal pic I've taken - quite by accident as it turned in my direction just as I took his picture.
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Moments later he provided the angle I wanted. Here he's perched on a dead limb of a towering cottonwood.
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Downy woodpeckers have been showing up daily to feast on suet.
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It almost seems as if he stopped to check out the falling snow.
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Another red-bellied woodpecker investigates the spillage below the bird feeder.