Featured Feathered Friend: Baby Edition! - Downy Woodpecker

Here's a little quickie FFF post to highlight the delight of seeing all the new baby birds that I'm sure many of you have been experiencing lately. I know that Nick and I have been coming across all kinds of new baby birds in the past few weeks, including warbler chicks, like Northern Parulas and Pine Warblers, that we never got to see when we lived in South Florida.

Dad with bits of bugs still left on his bill after dropping off food to the little one

"Hey, where are you going?!?"

So speaking of South Florida, we had spotted a Downy Woodpecker chick right in front of our apartment in Boca Raton back in May 2009. We had noticed a couple of Downy Woodpeckers hanging around the trees in our parking lot, which was such a treat to see in itself. But we were even more delighted when we discovered that the Downy Woodpecker pair had nested right in the tree just steps away from our front door. We first heard the anxious chatter of the chicks as they were awaiting mom or dad to bring in some food. And then we finally got a peek of a chick as he poked his head out to see what the delay was for more lunch.

Downy chick and adult

"Yum yum, gimme some!"

This little guy gave us great looks at his Downy Woodpecker sweetness. This chick showed off his bright red cap as he looked around for mom and dad. These are already one of the cutest woodpeckers as they are the smallest, add to that a baby one, and you've got cuteness to the 10th power! I fondly and clearly remember sometimes opening the front door to be pleasantly perked up by the sound of this baby Downy calling. I think I giggled with joy every time. Such a sweet and desperate little cry.

Sweet little face =)

Oh so hungry!

Downy Woodpecker

While strolling around Daggerwing recently, we stumbled upon this Downy Woodpecker excavating his nesting cavity right above the boardwalk. I took some video of him hard at work:

December Bird Survey for Daggerwing

Maureen and I were all ready to lead a bird walk at Daggerwing Nature Center this weekend, but, unfortunately, nobody was willing to brave the cold (for south Florida) morning to join us. We tried not to take it personally and soldiered onwards to conduct our monthly bird survey of the nature center. 

Right at the start of the boardwalk was our first county Baltimore Oriole, perched near the top of a myrtle, while the Myrtle Warblers flitted about in every direction. The oriole flew after only a few seconds, and headed right out of the park, in the opposite direction from where we were going. 

We only had the occasional Palm Warbler, but plenty of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers buzzed at us as we passed by. There was also a male Common Yellowthroat down in the reeds off the boardwalk, and a Yellow-throated Warbler hiding in a cabbage palm. A single Pine Warbler surveyed the marsh area from a snag. 

We saw a number of raptors, including American Kestrel and several Osprey, and a Red-shouldered Hawk flew overhead a couple of times. We also had a Merlin perched on a snag at the edge of the wetland, but we didn't get the same show that we got last time we saw one. 

There was a good variety of butterflies, including Zebra Longwing, Red Admiral, White Peacock, and Viceroy. It's been a while since we've seen any Ruddy Daggerwings, so it's likely that we've seen the last of them for the year. 

There were also a surprising number of Venusta Orchard Spiders (Leucauge venusta) at about railing-level with the boardwalk. 

On our way out to survey the front of the nature center, we found an active Downy Woodpecker, doing his acrobatics just a few feet off the ground. Here he is showing off the barring on his outer tail feathers.

Overall, we would have preferred if a group had turned out to stroll the boardwalk with us, but it turned out to be a lovely morning, regardless!