A woodpecker has moved into one of the trees in our front yard. So far he seems to be a pretty good neighbor. He's drilled two holes in the dead portion of the tree, and seems to have decided to use the lower hole. Neither Eric or I recall hearing the construction, but it might have happened while we were away, or we might have mistook the sounds for something else.
I have got a few good looks at the guy. From searching pictures on the internet, he seems to be either a Red-Breasted Sapsucker or a Lewis's Woodpecker. The Sapsucker is more likely, considering our location and everything, but I swear he looks more like the Lewis from the pictures I've seen. Therefore, even though I'm not sure what he is, his name is Lewis. It's easier than trying to make a name out of "sapsucker". Given the fact that I don't know for sure if it's male or female, this is probably a good name because if we ever get a definite answer that it's female, we just change the spelling to Lois.
I usually see just the head of the bird, sticking out from the hole in the tree. Lewis doesn't appear to be looking at me, but if I say anything, he flies off. The head is a deep red color in the front, but I can't say for sure what the color is on the back, as he's always well above me. When he flies off I see red and white underneath with dark wings. From the pages I've read, if he's a Lewis's Woodpecker, the wings should be completely dark, so I'll be watching for that next time I see him.
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