The Bird of the Day today is the downy woodpecker. It is smaller than its larger cousin the hairy woodpecker. Downy woodpeckers have a shorter bill than the hairy woodpecker, and a shorter call note (pick vs. peek). If you look closely, you also see the distinguishing feature of faint dark bars on the tail, which the hairy does not have.
I was thrilled to find that I had photographed this woodpecker eating its meal! Both of these pictures were taken in Roseville, Minnesota when the woodpecker was foraging on a large stump.
