Woodpecker Swoop
I was able to stalk our Red-bellied friend a little more effectively, this time in full daylight instead of at sunset. He seems to be more tolerant of me these days, devoting more of his energy chiding to the Starlings perched in the trees around his hole than he does to avoiding me.
Most woodpeckers, including the Red-bellied, have a distinctive swooping flight pattern. I tracked my little friend all the way to the top of his tree and then snapped a shot right as he left the trunk with his wings against his body for his first swoop. You can even see the little red streak on his belly that gives him his name.