14th
2008
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), Adult, Northern Male: This woodpecker (rare to Maine) was feasting on our suet feeder on-and-off all day long, in Bowdoin. This is quite exciting as I haven’t seen one of these woodpeckers since I lived in South Florida many moons ago. If I get lucky, maybe he’ll stay around for awhile so I can record his voice. Okay, I’ve just got to ask…where’s the red on the belly? Oh…never mind…I see a bit of blush on the lower abdomen…Boy…that’s really a stretch to call this bird “red-bellied”.
Red-bellied woodpeckers are seen in Southern Maine to Mid-Maine from late September through May. They are rare in that an average of only 1 to 4 are present annually in the state during these months. Now, I got this info. from A Birder’s Guide to Maine, Copyright 1996. I have a feeling that with global warming, the northern territory of this species has expanded in the last 12 years, and these birds must be quite a bit more common than my book indicates.
