Weekend Birding: Red-headed Woodpecker
One of my favorite birds is the Red-headed Woodpecker. There are several of them at Cantigny Park, one of my favorite birding places, and they can usually be found in the wooded section high up in the large old trees. A sighting of one is always a treat as this is not a common bird and is considered a near threatened species due to a loss of its habitat.
This is a gorgeous bird, a medium size woodpecker about 9 inches long with striking red, white and black colors. It is found in the United States east of the Rockies and southern Canada.
I had been trying to get a good picture of one for over a year. Last summer on a sunny day I was taking pictures of flowers when I saw a flash of red in one of the low trees. The sun was in the wrong position, it was too bright and there were shadows but I got a decent shot of him anyway. When he flew onto a branch I was able to get a better picture.
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce. Head on over to At Home With Books to see more great photos or add your own.
Under My Apple Tree 
HI Leslie,
Fantastic photos.
We have Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers, that can be seen regularly visiting a large oak tree, in the lane behind our house. They are spectacular and beautiful birds, but we have never been able to get a clear photo opportunity.
We did manage to get a glimpse of your own Red-headed Woodpecker, when we were in Florida, December 2009, whilst visiting ‘Bok Tower Gardens and Sanctuary’. We did manage to get a couple of shots of him, but nothing to match your own stunning images.
Thanks for sharing
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Thanks… glad you enjoyed the pictures. It took me a long time to get these. The bird probably thought I was stalking him! Unless the woodpecker comes down lower in the tree it’s almost impossible to get a clear shot.
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Gorgeous photo.
Congrats on getting that shot.
carol
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Hi!
He’s a very handsome fellow. We have those here and they are hard to catch sitting, waiting for you to take a picture. Have a great day!
Sherrie
Just Books
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Beautiful shots Leslie 🙂
One of the things I miss living in the city is the birds that we used to have in our backyard growing up — mom used to say that the sound of the woodpeckers drove her slightly batty, but i loved it!
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Gorgeous indeed! I’ve never seen birds like this before.
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Congrats on the shots! I LOVE the birds with red on them, from robins to woodpeckers…or whatever. It’s got to take patience to capture these shots….
Here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
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Wonderful shot. I often try to get the warblers, finches, woodpeckers, and other birds in our yard. They are so darn quick!
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We have them too, but I’ve never gotten a picture of one. Excellent shot!
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Wow, they are stunning.
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Wow, that is the reddest red I’ve ever seen! What a beautiful bird.
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I have never seen this bird before. You are an amazingly gifted bird photographer.
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What a beauty — I know it took you a long time, but it was so worth it 🙂
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Definitely the best bird photos I’ve seen for a long time. We have a greater spotted woodpecker that visits our garden, but flies off whenever I pick up the camera. Wonderful photos.
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both pics are incredible but the 2nd one shows just how gorgeous that red head it! Wow!!
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Amazing photos. I’m glad you finally got a chance to take som good pictures of these beautiful birds.
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I love photos of birds! Beautiful shots!
You can visit my Saturday Snapshot here
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Oh, wow! Wonderful shots! It’s always exciting when you’re able to finally get a picture that you’ve been trying for.
Here’s my snapshot: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/03/saturday-snapshot-march-12.html
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Living west of the rockies, I’ve never seen one of those, but it is a gorgeous bird! How neat that you were able to get good photos of it!
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Thanks everyone for all the nice comments.
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Love your birds, what a wonderful snapshot. thanks for stopping by, and here I thought I was the only jellyfish parent.
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Wow! Those are such great and clear pics!! Thanks for sharing 😀
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I’ve never seen one up close…I’m impressed!! I only recently found out that the weird tapping sound I’ve heard so often over the years is the sound of a woodpecker. Obviously, I’m not very bird educated!
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They’re beautiful birds, but we had one become enamored of our house last year and do quite a bit of damage – we didn’t think that one was particularly pretty.
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This woodpecker is gorgeous-what camera and lens are you using?
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It’s a Canon Rebel XSi and a Canon 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 zoom lens with Image Stabilization. It’s a nice light weight lens that I can carry around for hours and not break my shoulder. And because it’s light weight I can do hand held shots and still keep the camera steady.
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