Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) are so small and light that they can perch almost anywhere. I was little surprised, however, when I looked down into the water of the marsh and saw a Downy Woodpecker on a very small piece of wood that was jutting out just a little above the surface of the water. I had never before seen a woodpecker that close to water level.
Downy Woodpecker just above the marsh water
The branch was small, just big enough for him to relax, but the woodpecker was not there to rest—he was there to work. There doesn’t seem like there is much room for him to maneuver, but somehow he got into position and was soon hammering away at that little piece of wood. I was concerned that the vibration might loosen the branch and cause him to tumble into the water, but that didn’t happen.
No piece of wood is too small
I guess that if you are a small woodpecker, almost any piece of wood is fair game—size does not matter.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Well I wonder what kind of meal he was after in that stick.
They certainly have an interesting approach to getting food. Interestingly, I am about to publish a post on woodpeckers as well.
How about that! Leads one to speculate about dipper birds (water ouzels) and the first intrepid member of that species that went into the stream looking for insects.
Bird behavior (and insect and animal behavior) is fascinating to watch, even if we can’t understand it much of the time. Not all of it can be explained as food-seeking behavior. I suspect that as the weather gets colder, various species become more adaptable in their food sources.
That’s what I’d suspect as well. And I can’t help but think about speciation when I see an animal doing something new or uncharacteristic. Of course, not every solitary act leads to a change…
You always have great bird shots. I first reaction to this one was what is that guy doing there, then I read that you were think the same.
It’s a little scarey to think that there is another person who has the same kind of thoughts as I do! As the insect and flower opportunities have dried up, I’ve gravitated to birds. They are a distinct challenge, but I’m enjoying seeing more and more of them and attempting to photograph them.
If there is a bug in that piece of wood, he’ll find it!
wonderful photos and interesting post. 🙂
I think all that hammering is not only to get food, but also to attract females and to make holes in tree trunks etc to place their nests. Nice shots!
Now this is certainly something you do not see every day, like you mentioned Mike so glad he didn’t have a mishap, I’ve never seen a Woodpecker try to swim and nor do I want to, a fascinating post and beautiful shots too.
Thanks. As I take more pictures I am learning to be constantly looking down and up, and not just straight ahead. This time of the year we often have hawks and other birds soaring on thermal updrafts and I love to try to photograph them. In many ways, photography is teaching me to look at the world in a different way.