June 28th, 2022

You are all very familiar with this guy by now, right?  This is is the dad half of the red bellied woodpecker couple that moved into the birdie condo that was created in the dead palm in our courtyard.  All well and good. They have been very nice neighbors, entertaining, quiet for the most part, and (as I once said before) they don't borrow yard tools and then forget to return them.

​Well, as of yesterday, this guy swoops into town:

It's a different kind of woodpecker. I think it's a Downy Woodpecker but of course I am no bird expert.   I was so surprised when I saw this guy drop in and start poking around the same tree as the other woodpeckers that I just about dropped the plate I was drying (while looking out the window obviously).

This new guy, Downy, just boldly fly right up to the doorway of the birdie condo and stuck his head inside as if to say, "hello! Is anybody home?"  Then strutted up and down the outside of the tree for awhile.

I said, 'What the actual  heck?'  Are they friends? Cousins?  Frenemies?

I did a little reading and according to what I found it says that red bellied woodpeckers are very territorial and will fight other birds that dare show their little feathered faces 'round their nests.  Really?  Coz what I saw was very cordial.

The red bellied woodpecker, from here on in known as Red and the other guy, Downy, seemed to be old friends.  They cruised up and down the outside of the tree, each on one side, seeking particularly delicious bugs. It was as if they were out shopping together.  Or perhaps sharing good times on a bug hunting trip. They did not appear to be mortal enemies.  Which kind of flies in the face of what the experts say.

It was fascinating to watch them.    Sometimes Red was inside the nest looking out while Downy cruised around, sometimes both of them were outside together. Occasionally one would fly off and then return over and over.     

Today I notice that only Red is around.  In fact, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Red both this morning.  She was inside the tree, he was outside.   But Downy has thus far, been nowhere in sight.  Did they have a disagreement?  Or perhaps Downy was just passing through and stopped by for a quick howdy do?   It's a mystery to me.

As I said before, I don't know much about birds of any kind really, but these guys in our courtyard just fascinate me.  I spend a ridiculous speculating about what they are saying or doing.  Occasionally I offer them human voices, that is I speak for them and offer them scripted dialogue that is probably completely Not what is going on at all.

Just  a short time ago, I observed Mr. Red cleaning house.  Whatever will they do next?

I am so easily amused.

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