ML618344480

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

An Eastern Bluebird (at left side of photo, in flight) making a 2nd dive on the woodpecker, which at this point had retreated from the horizontal cable (previous photo) to the power pole itself.

Observation details

At the east end of the park, on power pole. Watched an interesting encounter between the woodpecker and a male Eastern Bluebird. As the GFWO was poking around the top part of the pole (where the crossbars are), a bluebird suddenly appeared and began diving on the woodpecker repeatedly. Presumably the bluebird has an active nest in the pole somewhere close to where the GFWO was poking around (apparently looking for anything edible), and undoubtedly the bluebird felt its nest might be at risk. (I can only guess that at least some woodpeckers might predate eggs or young of another cavity nest species, though can't recall specifically reading anything on this subject.) It appears that GFWO is still the dominant species at this park (versus the very closely-related Red-bellied Woodpecker). At Haley Nelson Park, in contrast, I'm wondering if RBWOs are beginning to displace GFWOs, though that's only from very incidental observations made over the last 2.5 years at that location. When I first started birding Haley Nelson in fall 2021, it seemed like I only encountered GFWOs at that location (though could easily have been overlooking a few RBWOs); now, however, it seems RBWO are the predominant GFWO/RBWO type woodpecker there. Certainly too soon, though, to really know what's going on with these two species in this general area.

Technical information

Model

DSC-RX10M4

ISO

100

Flash

Flash did not fire

Dimensions

2560 pixels x 1700 pixels

Original file size

563.5 KB