Above: The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), a small or medium-sized year-round resident of Florida. This is the only eastern woodpecker with the entire head red (others may have a patch of red). Both sexes are from 7.5-9.1 inches (19-23 cm) in length, with a wingspan of 16.5 inches (42 cm). They weigh 2.0 to 3.2 ounces (56-91 g).
They fly to catch insects in the air or on the ground, forage on trees or gather and store nuts. They are omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, and occasionally even the eggs of other birds.
Once abundant -- now a rare sight in Florida -- populations have seriously declined since 1966 due to increased nest site competition from European Starlings and removal of dead trees (used as nesting sites) from woodlands. Many parts of Florida no longer have nesting red-headed woodpeckers.
Their call is a loud "queeah," louder and higher pitched than the "churr" of the Red-bellied Woodpecker.
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Above: This is the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens). He is quite small (to 6.5 inches; 16 cm.). Note the white back and the small bill. Otherwise this industrious little woodpecker would look almost identical to his cousin, the Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), only smaller. His voice is a rapid whinny of notes, descending in pitch. It sounds something like a flat "pick," while the Hairy Woodpecker sounds more like "peek!"
While the images above and below look like the same bird, if you look closely you'll see there are some distinct differences. Particularly on their faces. Above: A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius). This is a small bird maybe 8-9 inches (20-23 cm.).
The Sapsucker's voice is a nasal mewing note or squeal: "cheerrr," slurring downward. Its thumping is also distinctive. . . more like drumming with several rapid thumps followed by several slow rhythmic ones.
Below: The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a bit larger than the Sapsucker (9-10.5 inches; 23-26 cm.). She has the zebra back with a red cap and white rump. Red covers the crown and nape in the male, only the nape is red in the female. Her voice is something like "kwirr," "churr" or "chaw;" also "chiv," "chiv."
Below: The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a much larger bird. In the past when I've photographed them they were more cooperative. This one was not. I only got a couple of chances before he took off. The Pileated Woodpecker is 16-19.5" (40-49 cm), the female lacks the red on the mustache (this is a male).
My Pileated Woodpecker Photos at this Link
In Florida they seem to prefer finding trees (or houses) infested with carpenter ants. They make quite a racket pounding on the bark of the tree to extract more insects. They are one of the most spectacular sights due to their extraordinary coloring and large size. . . and unfortunately I see them rarely.
Often confused with the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), the Ivory-billed was even larger at 20 inches (50 cm.). There are often reports of Ivory-billed sightings but it is likely extinct. Also known as the "Lord God Bird,". . . People who saw the impressive Ivory-bill in flight would exclaim, “Lord God, what a bird!”
It was native to the virgin forests of the southeastern United States. Due to habitat destruction, and to a lesser extent hunting, its numbers have dwindled to the point where it is uncertain whether any remain. The species is listed as critically endangered and possibly extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The American Birding Association (ABA) lists the Ivory-billed Woodpecker as a Class 6 species, a category the ABA defines as "definitely or probably extinct."
It is noteworthy that the U.N. reported this week that the earth's human population topped 7 billion. So despite all our efforts to save some of these magnificent species, there will likely be many more extinctions in the next decade as the human population continues to rise exponentially. Regardless of whether or not the earth can support more humans, habitat destruction will accelerate.
Read more about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker at
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Melissa McCarthy's Knock-Out Performance
Melissa McCarthy’s frustrated, unhinged parody of White House press secretary Sean Spicer on last weekend’s SNL unsettled the White House and bothered Trump, and her performance was seen as potentially hurting Spicer’s longevity in the job, Politico reported, citing people close to the president.
Yes, a late-night comedian’s performance could affect what Trump does as president — and this is exciting progressives the world over.
Perhaps he's in the wrong line of work. Defending demagoguery is not for the thin-skinned
The casting of McCarthy as Spicer was a stroke of comedic brilliance, a perfect fit. She got the mannerisms down pat: the pugnacious fighter’s scowl, the verbal gaffes and nonsensical spin tactics, the scorn sprayed indiscriminately at the press corps (a metaphor made literal by the inspired use of a Super Soaker loaded, supposedly, with soapy water), and, most of all, the flicker of fear behind the fury, that mark of the schoolyard bully who knows he’s going to be whupped himself as soon as he gets home. The sketch has now been viewed tens of millions times on YouTube.
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Rosie O’Donnell, longtime adversary of President Donald Trump, trended on Twitter this week as “Saturday Night Live” fans urged the show to cast her in a key role.
Some suggested O’Donnell play White House chief strategist Steve Bannon while others ― no doubt remembering her 2006 impression of Trump on “The View”― were hoping she could play the president himself.
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Chad le Clos Surf Collection
Our favorite for Rio didn't win gold but he looked great coming in 2nd in the Men's 100m butterfly and 3rd in the 200m butterfly. Next to Ryan Lochte South Africa's le Clos is the most likely to have a career in fashion, modeling, TV, or wherever he likes after he gives up swimming.
Sailing Under Florida's Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Royal Caribbean's
Brilliance of the Seas
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Our favorite for Rio didn't win gold but he looked great coming in 2nd in the Men's 100m butterfly and 3rd in the 200m butterfly. Next to Ryan Lochte South Africa's le Clos is the most likely to have a career in fashion, modeling, TV, or wherever he likes after he gives up swimming.
Brilliance of the Seas
@majikphil
The ash tree is likely to be wiped out in Europe by an exotic fungal disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) and an imported beetled (the emerald ash borer; Agrilus planipennis). All that cheap Asian crap everyone has to have in their home is likely to blame for the rapid introduction and spread of the disease and pests.
More on this story: Warning Over Ash Dieback Disease, 100,000 Ash Trees Destroyed Over Disease, Europe's Ash Trees are Finished
Tomas Berdych, tennis ace, displays the result of all those stars blasting
his body, a perfect tan line.
Photo: ©Max Vadukul for ESPN The Magazine
How much of my sunburn can I reasonably blame on stars outside our galaxy?
Uncovered vacationers are getting hit 10 billion times a second by photons that originated far outside the Milky Way.
That's only 10 trillionths of what the Sun is bringing to the fight.
The measurements, published in Astrophysical Journal, are part of a larger effort to understand how matter and energy get around the universe and why the cosmos is structured the way it is. The study was led by Simon Driver of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia.
Translating a serious astrophysics investigation into a confectionery tidbit—10 billion photons!—is a nice touch of out-of-this-world cleverness. The effort behind the study was anything but trivial.
101° (38° C) and We Still Have Our Hottest Months to Survive