In my tree-filled corner of North Texas suburbia I've seen the red head of woodpeckers flit between branches and leaves for years. Inevitably, I mean every d@mn time, they would fly away before I could pull out a phone or my camera to find and focus on the bird for a good picture. Getting a good woodpecker shot became a quest: I'd hear their distinctive, 'tap-tap-tap' cadence nearby and hurry to try again!
This woodpecker quest has literally gone on for years, until April 30, 2024: Finally, success! A Red-Bellied Woodpeckerwas sitting on the fence in my backyard in the early morning and I got a few in-focus shots with my camera.
March 23, 2026: while I sit outdoors on my back patio enjoying the early sun and write this, I hear soft taps to my right. Looking to my right I easily spot a little Downy Woodpecker seeking its breakfast in a small thick-branched tree over the fence, in a neighbor's backyard. And, I'm pretty sure it's laughing at me!
A plastic shopping bag entangled in the same tree as the Downy Woodpecker, that is (as usual) out of focus behind the branches, hunting insects along the tree trunk.
