What kind of Woodpecker?

[David & Susan]

Hey everybody, Susan and I are pleased to say that our attempts to lure a woodpecker on to our property is starting to pay off!  

I snapped some photos today:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24180399@N ... otostream/

Now just one question: what species is it?

I suspected it to be a Downy judging from my Peterson's Guide, but where's the red markings on the head?

And his/her behaviour was interesting: it was "inspecting" the tree all over, pecking it here and there like it was looking for something....

Any help is always appreciated,

D.

[Leslie Kinrys]

Hi David and Susan,

Congrats. You have a White-breasted Nuthatch visiting your yard. Nuthatches move around tree trunks, sometimes going down head-first like a squirrel, looking for insects under the bark.They come to feeders for suet and black oilers. This bird has a white breast and face, blue-grey back and a black cap. Hope this helps.

[David & Susan]

Well don't we feel like newbies!

It was poking at the tree in such a way, we swore it was a woodpecker!

I guess we would've lost money on that bet!  

Okay then, a bit red faced, but indeed grateful! Many thanks.

D & S

[JMCDA]

You know...nuthatches and woodpeckers aren't related, but in my mind I kind of classify them together just because of their behaviour, food preferences and movement up and down the trees.  The other day i watched a nuthatch land at the feeder and throw one peanut at a time off the edge until it found one it liked, then it took off.

Mr and Mrs Downy have returned to nest again in the tree behind us and today I watched one of them(too far away to tell) doing the same thing, but I think it was throwing sunflower seeds trying to get at a peanut.  Gee they can be picky!

Similar but different, and fun to watch no matter what it is!

Joann

[David Shilman]

Hate to nitpick, but that's a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

[Ron Luft]

I'd have to be with Leslie on this'un. White Br. No? I see no red(rust, salmon whatever).

[David Shilman]

I'm wondering if we are somehow looking at different pictures. It's on what appears to be a silver maple (raggedy bark), and the bird is pretty horizontal, looking left.  Same pose?

(How would I post a photo, rather than just a link?)

[Faltorvo]

The picture that pulls up when i hit the link is a white breasted without a doubt.

There is no black stripe running from the base of the beak,through the eye to the neck.

[Turtlebird]

Definately White-Breasted.  Look at the markings on the head.  The difference between the two is very clear.  This particular White-Breasted Nuthatch does seem to have a reddish wash to its underside, which could cause confusion.  But it is still 100% WBN.

[David Shilman]

OK, I'll defer to the majority.  On my monitor, the bird is very red on it's entire underside.  Granted, no distinct eye stripe, but kind of a remnant of one.  Anyway, it looks like none of these on my monitor http://images.google.ca/images?gbv=2&hl ... =0&ndsp=21 or any WBNU I've seen.  They are usually pretty distinctive.