Woodpeckers
Birds that live on and in trees, drilling for insects, sap and nest holes, and hanging on with feet built two toes forward and two back. The drumming in spring is not feeding but display: a woodpecker's song, on whatever resonates best, which in a suburb is often a gutter.
A woodpecker hammers at up to twenty strikes a second without injury, and its tongue is part of the answer: it is so long that it wraps up round the back of the skull and anchors near the nostril, and the bone and muscle that carry it act as a cushion for the brain.
- Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
- Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
- Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
- Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.