More Calgary Woodpeckers

[mbrager]

I took these over the past three days in two different places, Weaselhead Park and Fish Creek Park.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4413115366_46e9bf4aee_b.jpg
1
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4413115482_af2764e17a_b.jpg
2
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4412347097_af607889d2_b.jpg
3
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4412346883_7a3723994f_o.jpg
4

1 and 2 are the same bird. Someone put the birdfeeder there with seed, and some tin cups nailed onto a wood fence. So there are always birds around, tame enough to land on your hand, like in the picture Greg had in another thread. But I had too long a lens to focus at arm's length.
I did some processing to bring out the birds from the background.
Mike

[Mad Aussie]

Man you guys feed your birds well!

[casil403]

Nice stuff Mike...love the Downy's...
MA winters are pretty harsh here for birds so we give our feathered friends a helping hand to get them through it. :)

[Marko]

Love the sense of scale in shot 3:highfive:

[Mad Aussie]

Nice stuff Mike...love the Downy's...
MA winters are pretty harsh here for birds so we give our feathered friends a helping hand to get them through it. :)
I guess they were struggling a few hundred years before people started putting out feeders huh? ;)

I wonder if feeding the birds like this has any effect on their usual/natural behaviour? For instance, do they usually hang around all winter or would they normally move elsewhere if not for the extra food?

Note: Not a criticism in any way ... just simply curious.

[JAS_Photo]

Well M.A. people are takiing over the natural habitat of many species. A birdfeeder such as seen in the photo is okay as long as it is maintained all winter as the birds will become dependant on it. Very few species that normally migrate will stay in the cold. Ducks and geese will stay if there is a warm runoff on the river.

But I want to add, please do not feed ducks and geese junk food such as bread, french fries and other salty or sugary foods as this makes them dependant on a diet very low in nutrion.

Giving chickadees treats such as sunflower seeds is okay as long as they are unsalted because their high metabolisms can use the extra fat.

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks JAS :)