Driving across the dike into Donnelley WMA I heard several Red-headed Woodpeckers and finally spotted one.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 5, 2025
Red-headed Woodpecker
Tag Archives: Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
In between watching the action of the Red-headed Woodpeckers and Blue Jays in yesterday’s post I captured some images of just the woodpecker.
These dead pine trees made nice perches, even if the birds were very high up.
They were zipping around so much I have no idea how many there were.
This one looked like he might have been foraging for a meal, but he didn’t do any serious pecking.
Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 19, 2023
Red-headed Woodpecker & Blue Jay
There was a lot of bird chase action in the upper reaches of some pine trees I passed.
I thought the Blue Jay was the aggressor, he was certainly making the most noise.
Multiple individuals of both species were involved. Some of the Red-headed woodpeckers were adults, with a few juveniles as seen above mixed in.
I watched them go back and forth for about 20 minutes and never figured out what the ruckus was about.
Both were showing off their flying skills, and maybe that was the point.
Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 19, 2023
Checking Out Some Real Estate
It’s a little early for a Red-headed Woodpecker to be scouting out nesting sites, but given the competition it doesn’t hurt to look around.
Audubon Center & Sanctuary at Francis Beidler Forest, SC
January 8, 2023
Red-headed Woodpecker
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
May 9, 2022
Juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker
This Juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker’s movement in some dead trees caught my eye. I could hear cheeping from him and two or three others nearby.
The conundrum of where to look: I decided not to take my eyes off this one. If he flew I likely wouldn’t spot him as he blended in with the Spanish moss and snags. And I may not be able to spot the others.
He performed the classic rotation around the limb woodpecker maneuver.
He paused for a moment before zipping off into a leafy tree with no photo opportunity.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 19, 2021
Red-headed Woodpecker In a Snag
A snag at the edge of a swamp was the perfect spot for this Red-headed Woodpecker to survey his territory.
Red-headed Woodpecker
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a bird that I have only glimpsed, generally flying away from me. Then a few weeks ago I saw two in less than ten minutes!
The second one, perhaps a mate to the first, tormented Ted and me with knocking that we could not locate. Who knew they could make such a racket inside a tree?
Once out of the cavity he stuck to the shady side of the tree.
