I always find a certain fascination with woodpeckers. Their behaviors are interesting to observe; their jackhammer-like pecking is what I often hear before I ever see them and it makes me stop to try and spot where it might be coming from.
The downy woodpecker has a fluffy white belly with a spotted black and white pattern on its wings and some streaks of the same across its head. The males can be identified by a little red tuft near the top of their heads. This one is a female; they are typically smaller than the males and do not have the red coloring found in the males.
If you hear one and have a camera handy, its best to act quickly, as they will vanish in the blink of an eye sometimes. If you are lucky enough to get one soon after landing, they will often be pecking away at a tree or sometimes even a telephone pole for a few moments at least.
