Hole in the wall
by AnnaJo Vahle
Title
Hole in the wall
Artist
AnnaJo Vahle
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
I was sitting quietly in the art gallery when a loud series of drumming sounds and calls resonated through the walls. I grabbed my camera and stepped out to see this somewhat silly sight. It was a red-bellied woodpecker. He and his mate had drilled a hole through the side of the stucco wall. Yes, the hole in the wall was his home! The mate called from a tree across the street. She seemed reluctant to go home while I was standing in front of the door between her and her mate. They didn't seem too terribly frightened with me there, but were a bit ill at ease. Of course, I had to take a few photographs before I left them to their routine. He poked his head out from time to time to tell me off and seemed annoyed with me.
Adults are mainly light gray on the face and underparts. They have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail. Adult males have a red headset going from the bill to the nape. Females have a red patch on the nape and another above the bill. The reddish tinge on the belly that gives the bird its name is difficult to see easily. They are 9 to 10.5 inches long, and have a wingspan of 15 to 18 inches.
Red-bellied woodpeckers are noisy birds. They have many varied calls. Calls have been described as sounding like churr-churr-churr or thraa-thraa-thraa with an alternating br-r-r-r-r-t sound. Often, these woodpeckers �drum� to attract mates. They tap on aluminum roofs, metal guttering, hollow trees and even transformer boxes, in urban environments, to communicate with potential partners.
2/15/23...3rd place tie in SMART BIRDS contest
Uploaded
May 1st, 2013
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Viewed 9,695 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/23/2024 at 10:31 PM
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Comments (90)
Gary F Richards
Congratulations on your Top Finish in the CLOSE UP OF A BIRD - CAGED OR IN WILD contest!
Gary F Richards
Beautiful close-up composition and excellent artwork! F/L … voted for this piece in the CLOSE UP OF A BIRD - CAGED OR IN WILD contest
Henryk Gorecki
Fantastic colorful bird and excellent description!Beautiful portrait of the bird,Anna Jo!-L/F..
Christine Rivers
Adorable! And so beautifully captured, AnnaJo! I enjoyed reading about your experience with this wonderful character. Fav
Michael Anthony Edwards
Congratulations Anna Jo for Second Place in the Second Annual One in the Hole contest! Beautiful photograph - color & subject..
Jimmie Bartlett
Beautiful capture AnnaJo! The colors are rich and so lovely! There are no boundaries for woodpeckers. F,L