Woodpeckers!

We have a variety of woodpeckers...downies, hairies, red-bellied like this guy, the occasional yellow-shafted flickr, and once even a pileated woodpecker.  No red-headed woodpeckers, though they are abundant in the nearby state park.  I had fun sketching these guys...

LOTS of sketching in nature lately...

New Feeder!

 

I'm really enjoying the new peanut feeder we got at Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary in Liberty, MO.  (If you get the chance, VISIT.  The visitors' center is lovely, and the trails are varied and beautiful.  And yep, that's my sketch of the building at the top of their web page.)

The birds found this one almost immediately!  It's very popular...who would have thought?

And the big red-bellied woodpecker has been inspecting ALL the feeders...he's gorgeous...

This was a very quick sketch to begin with, but as he kept returning I was able to develop his head more.  Could NOT match that flaming color, though...

Merry Christmas!--Vickie Henderson

This male Red-bellied woodpecker has given me quite a bit of joy in the past week, appearing at my feeders, and landing so close, that my breath nearly stops. He is truely beautiful, especially with the sunlight reflecting off his red head.
I can say that my sketch does not do him justice. But it gave me plenty of practice and some intimate time with him and the holly. Earlier today, before the wind began to gust and the cold front moved in, we had sun and warm mid 50's F temps. So I sat in the sun for a while and examined those holly leaves more closely making sketches of how the berries and leaves connected to the stem.

Happy Holidays everyone!