Ladder-back Woodpecker (?)
This appears to be a Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
When traveling through the scattered cactus and mesquite of the arid southwestern U.S., it’s difficult to believe that these almost treeless habitats are home to woodpeckers. But the Ladder-backed (once known as the “Cactus Woodpecker”) is an attractive dweller of deserts, desert scrub, and thorn forests. It can also be found in pinyon pine and pinyon-juniper forest. Like many small dwellers of arid habitats, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers can be inconspicuous and quiet, requiring a bit of time and patience to find. Their small size and agility make them deft foragers among the thorns and spines of plants like cholla, mesquite, and prickly pear.
So, what's he doing in my back yard? Sorry I couldn't get a better image, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing! At least Woody doesn't mind the colorful grasshopper!
Ladder-back Woodpecker (?)
This appears to be a Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
When traveling through the scattered cactus and mesquite of the arid southwestern U.S., it’s difficult to believe that these almost treeless habitats are home to woodpeckers. But the Ladder-backed (once known as the “Cactus Woodpecker”) is an attractive dweller of deserts, desert scrub, and thorn forests. It can also be found in pinyon pine and pinyon-juniper forest. Like many small dwellers of arid habitats, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers can be inconspicuous and quiet, requiring a bit of time and patience to find. Their small size and agility make them deft foragers among the thorns and spines of plants like cholla, mesquite, and prickly pear.
So, what's he doing in my back yard? Sorry I couldn't get a better image, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing! At least Woody doesn't mind the colorful grasshopper!