Easy Street, #2

Yesterday, Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker got hulled sunflower seed from the bird feeder and fed it to her fledgling. Her mate, Mr. Hairy Woodpecker did the same thing the day before. It's not unusual for Hairys to divide up the chore of feeding the fledglings. Some go with the female, and others are cared for by the male. You can tell she's feeding a different fledgling than her mate did the day before, because this fledgling has more red on its forehead, making it, undoubtedly, a male. It's fun for us to see them care for their young. For them, it's a lot of work, at least until the young become independent.

All photos © Lillian Stokes, 2006