Red-headed Woodpecker Eats Earthworms

I have been out of commission with a bad case of the flu and today was the first day I have been out photographing anything in two weeks. I was on my way to the park when the Amsterdam parakeet colony caught my attention with their loud squawking. There were six Monk Parakeets about and several were engaged in fighting or mating (I couldn't tell which.)

After a quick walk around the north end of the park and a tour of the reservoir, I headed over to Riverside park to see what the Red-headed Woodpecker was up to. He didn't disappoint.

At one point he flew to the ground and rummaged around for about 30 seconds before flying up to one of his favorite perches. I noticed he was trying to stash something in a hole. Turns out it was an earthworm. He pushed the earthworm down into his stash hole but the earthworm, being an earthworm headed down inside the tree.

The woodpecker, realizing his mistake, started pulling at the worm and finally got it out. At that point he decided he'd better eat it and pulled it apart into little pieces, devouring each one, until there was no more. Those robins better watch out!

Four Monk Parakeets appeared in a tree right near the woodpecker's lair on Riverside Drive at one point during the afternoon but after making a lot of noise for a minute or two the flew off north.

More woodpecker photos here.