The Downy Woodpecker, the smallest woodpecker in North America, is a diminutive version of the Hairy Woodpecker. Yesterday, I posted a photograph of a female Hairy Woodpecker at Sax-Zim Bog. This is a male Downy Woodpecker. The red spot on its head identifies it as a male. And. when they aren’t together, so the size difference isn’t obvious, Downies can be can be distinguished from Hairies by the smaller size of their beaks.
Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are very similar in appearance except the Hairy is larger and its beak is longer. When they’re side by side, it’s easy to tell them apart. But when they are alone on a tree and hammering into a tree trunk with their beak buried in wood, it can be difficult to tell the difference. This Hairy extracted its beak from the trunk when I took this shot so it is easy to see that its beak is long. Taken at Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota.
About a year and a half ago I had an opportunity to photograph Bighorn Sheep in Nevada. It was a unique opportunity to see these amazing critters that have become my favorite big game to photograph. What I love about this particular photograph is the pastel grasses that surround this ram. Their habitat is often sharp crags and rocky outcroppings so seeing one in the midst of these soft, pastel meadow plants is to me, unusual.
This charming little Black-capped Chickadee was nibbling on a peanut when I photographed it the other day in Sax-Zim Bog. Chickadees are tiny, fast moving, and adorable.