Stokes Feeder Friday: Fledglings at the Feeder

Yesterday's post featured a video of a baby Hairy Woodpecker getting fed bird seed by a parent and today we have a video of a baby Downy Woodpecker with the same thing happening. How wonderfully opportunistic the mother is, the feeder makes her job easier.

The mother Downy Woodpecker is at our Stokes Select Finch Tube Feeder which is filled with Nyjer Plus seed mix (a mixture of fine sunflower chips and Nyjer 'thistle') and is getting the seed out of the holes and feeding it to her clinging fledgling Downy Woodpecker. Mostly finches feed out of finch tube feeders because the feeders have small holes, but the woodpecker is able to access the seed here. This fledgling is a Downy Woodpecker, female, because she has no red on her head. Fledgling male Downy Woodpecker have some red feathers on their forehead, females have none or, rarely, just a few red feathers there. We just love fledglings at our feeders, it's just the best summer entertainment.