The goldfinches at the feeders right outside my office window were not very happy when a Downy Woodpecker joined them for a few sunflower bits the other day. I have plenty of feeders for woodpeckers with easy access to much larger sunflower pieces, plus peanuts. But this little guy wanted the challenge of trying to snatch fine bits of sunflowers from a thistle tube feeder instead.
Of course woodpeckers pull tiny insects out of the bark of trees, so maybe this was just good practice with a guaranteed reward.
A few minutes later a Hairy Woodpecker landed on my suet feeder nearby, and I was able to compare the beak sizes up close since these birds can be so similar in appearance.
