Woodpecker in the rain

[turlough]

No matter how hard it rains I don't think I've ever seen a bird looking wet before but this Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) that visited one of my feeders today looked distinctly damp!

Click to enlarge:

Comments

[rodo]

What a pretty guy!

[turlough]

Woodpeckers have such eyecatching plumage!

[rodo]

They are! We used to get them until last winter at the bird feeder in front of our kitchen window, and I always loved seeing their pretty red butts.

[turlough]

Those red butts are like traffic signals! And likewise the red spot in the neck but only the males have those.

[shirebound]

Damp or dry, he knows which restaurants are open!

[turlough]

He certainly does! He visited again this morning.

[scytale]

What a beautiful birb! (And that red patch of feathers, and the white spots! The second picture really brings out the colors. :D)

Thank you for sharing!

[turlough]

Woodpeckers have such eyecatching plumage!

[pameladean]

So quizzical! That's such a gorgeous woodpecker. We don't get those ones, so I really appreciate the photos.

P.

[turlough]

The Greater Woodpeckers are very common here and here very frequent visitors to my feeders.

[yourlibrarian]

That's an interesting observation because we've rarely seen them look damp either. We always wonder why they don't camp out on our balcony when it's raining -- especially the tiny hummingbirds, given that they're closer to the feeder that way.

Nice shots!

[turlough]

I've never thought of it before but now that I have I'm going to look much more closely at every bird I see when it rains!

[adafrog]

From the front view it looks almost like a sparrow. lol

[turlough]

When you don't see the tail he looks quite round and yes, a little bit like a sparrow.

[cmcmck]

We've been having weeks of soggy weather here so many of our own visitors are looking decidedly damp!

[turlough]

It's been raining more or less constantly for over a week now so it's no wonder this one does!

[ofearthandstars]

I adore the look on his face in that first photo - almost as if he is giving you the eye for the indignity of capturing him damp!

[turlough]

He certainly has a very penetrating gaze :-D

[sparowe]

Slightly damp, and possibly a bit put out, in that first one! What a charming little bird.

[turlough]

He does look a bit grumpy, doesn't he?!

[nanila]

Awww, soggy but still handsome!

[turlough]

Woodpeckers always look so smart!