My female Downey woodpecker brought her partner

by Judy M
(Standish Maine )

I wrote a page in early summer that I have a female Downey woodpecker at my suet and she likes the peanut butter and the cardinal suet
I have had a great summer having her here, well this morning I heard her giving that little squeak she has but she was louder than normal and was really being louder than normal. I looked out the window but she wasn't on the suet she was on the cage that holds my block of seed for the cardinals and she was loving it!
The best part of my story is THERE'S A MALE with her I was so happy, I thought she had no mate and I felt bad for her I don't know if she just got a mate or she was loving the cardinal seed and brought him to my yard. I don't care which it was because watching these two loving that block of seed in that cage is wonderful I guess I will be getting another one this week end so if they eat it all I will have another one ready The male has a gorgeous red cap I have never seen the male before so it's great to have them I know they live in the same area year round so I hope I can have them all winter long.
I guess I'll leave the suet there for awhile but if they don't eat it and stick with the seed block I'll keep that out for them
Thank you for your time Judy

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Oct 13, 2012
 Downey woodpeckers friend
by: Judy Maddocks

I just wanted everyone to know my pair of Downey woodpeckers have a friend. I was looking at my
Downeys eating a few days ago and I thought I was just not
Keeping track of them because they eat my block of cardinal seed and then go to the suet they will share in a way that's is just so nice they wait for each other to have their turn sometimes they both will be at the suet and one will set on the tree limb as the other eats then one will move and set on the limb as the other eats but as I watched I thought I lost track of the male because I was sure he went to the seed but as I was looking I thought it was my eyes but it wasn't there are now two males and I was surprised! I was so happy that they brought a friend now I have three. I'm hoping he has a partner so everyday I keep watching, hoping to see another female. It's funny I never tried to feed a woodpecker at my
feeders it all started by one just showing up! It was a pileated woodpecker this spring he was here awhile but he hasn't been back for about two or three months but I keep hoping! Anyway I do want to say it's been getting really chilly here in Maine and they are eating more suet then they where before now I don't have to change it because they are eating it up now so I'm glad I didn't take it down like I had said I was going too. I read they need the fat in it when it's cold out
I just wanted to update this to you and if you have never had a woodpecker coming to your yard you don't know what your missing they are so pretty and the males little Ted cap is so nice.
I will let you know if I get another female I'm hoping I will.
Thank you for your time
Judy
Oct 01, 2012
 Update on my pair of Downey woodpeckers
by: Judy

Just a update on my Downey woodpeckers
I know I said I was gping to take the suet down if they continued eating just the block of cardinal seed, but that was wrong. I knew after I ssid it that they need the fat in duet because it helps them in cold weather at least I had read that anyway. I went out and changed the suet I write down when I change it because it doesn't go very fast do it had been 5 wks so I went out and changed it. This time I put cardinal suet in because they alwas seem to choose thst one not the woodpecker suet. Yesterday I put the cardinal suet in and sure enough they are loving it!!
It amazes me how friendly they seem to be their feeders are close to my den window and they will set on the large poles that hold all my feeders near my den window and they know I'm watching even when I set on the porch I'm no more
than 10 or 12 ft from them I always know when their here
Because their very vocal about their visit. They go from the seed block I have in the cardinal cage to the suet back and forth they just love those two feeds it's funny those where bought so I could attract cardinals but these woodpeckers prefer cardinal seed and cardinal suet over the woodpecker suet every time I have Been putting both kinds of suet out but they still prefer the cardinal suet most of the time.
I just wanted to say their here many times a day and I realize
They do need the suet too.
Thank you for your time I'm trying to get a good picture with my iPhone and learn how to post it I may
need someone to help me with that
Thank you again for your time Judy
PS I have only had a cardinal visit twice so I'm
glad the woodpeckers love it LOL

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