Red-bellied Woodpecker in the Snow

I recorded this bouncing red dot during the snowfall last weekend while snow blowers were hard at work.  One of the common problems recording video is the sound at the time the action is recorded.  A recent example is the PBS Nature show this week documenting wolves and bison in Canada.  Most of the footage was shot from a helicopter, however the sounds on screen were as if you were on the ground with the animals.  This is an interesting piece on the how natural sounds are made in the studio.  Holey Foley.

Nervous

This hairy woodpecker is very nervous and is finally convinced the red squirrel's warnings might be important than eating.   As photographers we concentrate on the visual elements but recording video brings in the importance of sound.  Sometimes I just close my eyes and listen at the feeders. Technical: action at 75% normal speed, sound cleaned with Audacity.

Staying Warm

I've spent the last couple days in Sax Zim Bog braving the -18 degrees yesterday morning.  The temperature tested the lower comfort limit of my footwear which is definitely above that temperature.  My feet were cold!  This ball of feathers is staying warm in his own way.

Hairy Woodpecker

Continuing my musings of similar woodpeckers, this shows the large beak in comparison to the downy's beak.  Technical: To clone out branches or leave them?   I cloned out a distracting branch coming in from the upper left.  I rarely modify an image with the clone tool but I decided to use it in this simple record shot.

Downy at the Feeder

I always have trouble determining whether I'm watching a downy or hairy woodpecker at the feeders.  If you are in the same quandary here are a couple hints learned during my most recent review of Sibley.  Downies are smaller (Diminutive). Downies have a small (Diminutive) beak compared to their head.  Downies Devour feeders.  They are very common at most feeders.  Hairy woodpeckers on the other hand are larger, have a large beak relative to their head size and are less common at feeders.  If you see a diminutive woodpecker with a diminutive beak devouring the feed it is probably a downy woodpecker.