Woodpecker visits for a snack and bath

One of my favorite backyard visitors is the red-headed woodpecker, a medium-sized woodpecker common here in Eastern Canada. Almost everyone can identify the very charismatic and colorful woodpecker. Some of its whimsical nicknames include flying checker-board and shirt-tail bird. My back garden attracts these birds (and many other forms of wildlife) with its combination of fresh seeds, lovely sheltering trees and bushes, and the chance for a cool bath in my fountain-pond. I’m sure it was a welcome stop in this little bird’s day. He didn’t even seem bothered by the neighboring rambunctious pool party in my usually serene neighborhood. After all, woodpeckers can be noisy themselves, with a variety of harsh “churrs” and rising “query” calls.

Woodpeckers love my backyard garden (as do all birds and animals anywhere nearby). The combination of fresh seeds, lovely sheltered trees and bushes and the chance for a cool bath, I’m sure make it a welcomed stop in this little bird’s day.

Oh, and please note, there’s some rambunctious pool party audio in the background of my usually-serene neighborhood. It was a HOT day!