Hairy Woodpecker - Pic chevelu
There are a lot of quite varied woodland trails in and around Ottawa. Each attracts a range of species, but some are known to be reliable locations for a subset of species. Looking for Woodpeckers, I knew where I wanted to go.
Like many other species, Hairy Woodpeckers are opportunistic feeders. They will hear another species feeding, and assume there is something there for them too. This bird had watched a Pileated Woodpecker open up the hole in the bark. I heard the Pileated as well, and was trying to position myself to take advantage of fading light and uneven ground when it flew to a nearby tree. While I was picking a route to meet it at the second tree, this bird jumped into the spot formerly occupied by the Pileated. There was less drilling to do, and apparently some food left behind.
I did eventually catch up to the Pileated, but I like this image more.
Hairy Woodpecker - Pic chevelu
There are a lot of quite varied woodland trails in and around Ottawa. Each attracts a range of species, but some are known to be reliable locations for a subset of species. Looking for Woodpeckers, I knew where I wanted to go.
Like many other species, Hairy Woodpeckers are opportunistic feeders. They will hear another species feeding, and assume there is something there for them too. This bird had watched a Pileated Woodpecker open up the hole in the bark. I heard the Pileated as well, and was trying to position myself to take advantage of fading light and uneven ground when it flew to a nearby tree. While I was picking a route to meet it at the second tree, this bird jumped into the spot formerly occupied by the Pileated. There was less drilling to do, and apparently some food left behind.
I did eventually catch up to the Pileated, but I like this image more.