Red-bellied Takes the Hit

 These little guys are pretty tough.  I was actually beginning to put together a blog to show photos of a peregrine we found in the fog the day after the Nantucket CBC.  From my office I can hear a bird hit the the sliders in the bedroom.  Some sound worse than others.   Stella our boxer always hears them too and comes to find me, with a look that says, “Come on, let’s check it out!”  Sometimes there’s nothing to find.  Sometimes all the birds are gone, so the Cooper’s Hawk has cruised the feeders.  Sometimes there’s a groggy accident victim, like today.  I suppose, from their habits, you might conclude that a woodpecker might be better equipped to take an unexpected shot to the beak.  Even so, it’s a savage whack.

I picked her up, still breathing, but not struggling.  Photo-minded as I am, I then figured out how to change camera lenses for a close-up, while holding the woodpecker in one hand, because the last thing you want to have happen in this situation is for the stunned bird to recover, make its escape and slam into another window from the inside!

The photo series shows her first in my office for a formal portrait; then outside for good light and confidence building in familiar surroundings.  The UPS guy now shows up.  The woodpecker perks up and I let go of her. I am talking to the UPS driver and saying to come look, but slowly.  As he approaches I release the bird.  She stays on my hand sitting on top.  When she picks up movement she shifts under, then behind, my arm, just as though it were a tree branch.  I manage to take the camera strap off my neck and hand it to the UPS guy, asking him to move slowly and take some shots.  The woodpecker, after stumbling a little bit with the looseness of my flannel shirt, gradually makes her way up to my shoulder, onto my back right up to my neck.  Needless to say I am thrilled silly; and the UPS guy is having fun too.  When the woodpecker flies off, she seems to be doing OK and manages a little Red-bellied squawk for goodby.

 Birds are cool!  Lanny

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