Woodpecker Sighting

April 15 will not longer be Income Tax Day for me. It is now the day I saw my first woodpecker. I was watching a pair of house finches on the new birdfeeder. I turned away from the window and when I looked again, the finches were gone and there was a woodpecker on the feeder. I was thrilled to say the least.

After a little research, I have determined that it was a female downy woodpecker. The males have red on their heads. This one did not. The downy wood pecker is supposed to be the same size as the finches, but this one appeared much larger. Perhaps it was an optical illusion. The hairy woodpecker, which is larger, also is more white than the one I saw. Also, it is a woodland bird. The downy woodpeckers are more common at backyard feeders so I am pretty sure it was a downy woodpecker.