It's Been Tough

Male Downy Woodpecker napping at the Studio
( Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz )

It's yet another foggy/overcast day here at Prairie Hill Farm studio. I've been going through tedious web site work for projects and other clients. I caught myself having a tough time staying on task and even awake (!) when I looked out the window to my left and there clung this downy little ball with no head! Now this snapped me out of my lapse of alertness, and I looked closer...here was a male Downy Woodpecker napping on the side of the tree trunk I hang the bird feeder from. I watched for several minutes and nothing...I went and got my small camera and took a picture of him with his head tucked into it's side.

Occassionally another bird would happen by, but the Downy seemed to be really "sawing logs", paying them no mind. I missed a really good image when a House Sparrow happened by and landed right next to him and gave him a very curious "look over". Very funny.

Eventually he came to, hopped over to the feeder and ate a little suet, then hopped back around to a different spot and tucked it's head under and snoozed some more.

This went on for all afternoon...I ended up video taping 2 or 3 times when he was sleeping and waking; he seemed as "out of it" as I was feeling!

It's been tough...no sun here for many days, thick fog is the norm. The snow is slowly melting but it's more conducive to napping around here lately!

Eastern Screech Owl (gray phase)

A few days ago we had another feathered friend here get caught snoozing during the day. It was drizzling, cold, windy and foggy...a nasty day. Georgie spotted this little Eastern Screech Owl (gray phase) napping on a 2X4 brace inside the lean-to where we park. It started out soaking wet, apparently coming under the lean-to to dry off and catch up on it's beauty sleep. We let it dry off and rest there all day, and could almost walk right up to it. Too bad the backdrop for our little owl wasn't better for the sake of a decent photograph...I'll just have to file this away until I come up with an owl drawing or painting idea down the road!

I think I'm awake now...the Downy is back and sleeping again (it's been awake, gone and back at least 8 times now), hope it goes "home" for the night or that little Screech Owl may have a feathery snack after dark!

It's Winter...unofficially

Male Downy Woodpecker

Well it may not be the solstice yet but it's now winter. A good old blizzard with lots of snow brought it on fast and has us drifted in today. It usually seems that once we get frigid temps and a good snow covering, we're in it for the long haul.

As I sit in the studio pondering some scheduling changes I have to make because of the weather, I'm distracted in a fun way by the birds outside contending with the new landscape. One familiar favorite is the Downy Woodpecker; they seem to be the most plentiful and tolerant of people approaching them.

Downys look just like Hairy Woodpeckers, except in miniature (about a 3" difference). The only way to delineate the sexes is by the male's splash of red on the backs of their heads (same for Hairys).

Female Downy Woodpecker

I had a male and female pose for me this morning so I'll post them here.

I'm mustering up the will to crank up the snow blower and attack our hillside 200 foot driveway...but think the wind needs to die back some yet before I do. Guess there are sacrifices for living out in the middle of the tallgrass - especially in the winter! But, hey, I think I'll just stay distracted with woodpeckers for the time being!