We’ve lived in our house for over 3 decades now, and up until now I could count on exactly zero fingers how many times I’ve seen a woodpecker land on one of my hopper or platform feeders. They’re built for climbing and hanging on trees to find insects in the bark, not sitting upright. Usually they visit hanging suet and peanut feeders where they can use their tails for balance.
This Hairy Woodpecker has been routinely coming to my platform and hopper feeder for nuts and seeds over the last week. This species is not all that common at my feeders in the first place. I may occasionally see one in the winter.
And he’s not the only one acting strangely. I have a couple of Downy Woodpeckers that now like to eat out of the finch feeders. I put fine sunflower meats in my finch feeders and the holes are too small for most birds except finches and chickadees to poke their beaks into. But woodpeckers like the Downy can use their tongues to get the tiny bits of seed.
This odd behavior makes me wonder if insects are more scarce due to the drought and that’s why these woodpeckers are showing up at the feeders more often and behaving a little out of character?