A little woodpecker variety for the last Wednesday of the year. Above, a male Downy (Picoides pubescens), who pounded out a grub from a larch branch. These little woodpeckers will range through the borough.
This, however, is a Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus), which is uncommon in Brooklyn. This, from the middle of the month, is the only one I’ve seen this half of the year. Does look superficially similar to the smaller Downy. Hairy has a larger bill (note size of the bill in comparison to head), and lacks black spots on its outer tail-feathers.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) are fairly ubiquitous here.
We have one that visits a London plane across the street most days, always announcing itself with great rousing “chelps!” This is a rare look at the “red belly.”
Northern Flickers are everywhere during migration, but much less so at other times. I saw this Colaptes auratus the day before Xmas Eve.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) fragments.
More tomorrow.
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This article, available for free until tomorrow (presumably end of the day tomorrow), is worth a look: The history of the plague (ye olde Black Death) is being re-written because of genetics.
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This work by Matthew Wills is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Backyard and Beyond 
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