Patrick Sparkman
02-08-2011, 10:54 PM
I was out photographing the birds in our backyard this weekend, and got this male Red Bellied Woodpecker gleaning suet off a tree.
I knew these guys had long tongues, but never knew they had a barbed lance on the end. Makes sense, so that the bird can spear grubs in the holes they peck open.
I wish the head angle was slightly more to the camera, but I like the tongue on this one. Also, I finally have a shot showing why they are called "red bellied".:w3
Canon 1D IV, 800 f5.6 IS, ISO 800, 1/1600 at f8.0 set manually.
I knew these guys had long tongues, but never knew they had a barbed lance on the end. Makes sense, so that the bird can spear grubs in the holes they peck open.
I wish the head angle was slightly more to the camera, but I like the tongue on this one. Also, I finally have a shot showing why they are called "red bellied".:w3
Canon 1D IV, 800 f5.6 IS, ISO 800, 1/1600 at f8.0 set manually.