Snow is a regular part of winter here in Arkansas, and I still look forward to every round of it. It brightens the yard, cleans up the background, and it gets the feeder birds moving early.
This time, a Downy Woodpecker showed up on my old, weathered log I use for suet. I hang the feeder on the back side, and the birds work around the edges like they own the place.
Wildlife Notes
Downy Woodpeckers are regulars at suet, especially when snow covers the ground. When everything is buried, bark and feeder stations become the easiest grocery store in the yard. Cornell’s species account even calls out how common they are at feeders and suet. (allaboutbirds.org)
This bird spent its time clinging to the side of the log, pausing often to look around. That stop-and-check behavior is normal around feeders. They stay alert, especially when other birds are bouncing in and out.
Quick ID cues I watch for
Downy Woodpeckers are small and crisp looking, with strong black-and-white patterning. The bill is one of my favorite clues, it’s short compared to similar species like the Hairy Woodpecker.
If you are trying to sex them, males have a small red patch on the back of the head. I do not see that in this angle, so this could be a female, or the patch could just be hidden.
A downy on a weathered suet log
I like this setup because it looks natural in photos. That gray, worn wood has texture, and it keeps the scene from feeling like a “feeder shot,” even though it is.
Snow helps, too. It turns the background into a clean, high-key look without me having to force it. With a bright background like this, I mainly worry about exposure, not clutter.
If you have been following my little run of snow-day yard birds, these posts tie right in:
- First Snow, First Visitors: Dark-eyed Juncos in My Arkansas Yard
- American Goldfinch at My Feeder After Arkansas Snow
- Harris’s Sparrow Feeding in Fresh Arkansas Snow
- Female Northern Cardinal in Fresh Snow, Arkansas Yard
- Male Northern Cardinal in Fresh Snow in My Arkansas Yard
- Red-bellied Woodpecker on Suet After an Arkansas Snow
Photography Notes
This was shot from my deck with my steady, quick backyard setup. I rest the lens barrel on a beanbag on the deck rail, and I keep my movement slow.
Snow can trick the meter and turn white into dull gray. I used positive exposure compensation to keep the snow looking like snow, while still holding detail on the bird.
Settings for this photo:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Lens: Canon RF 200–800mm F6.3–9 IS USM
- Focal length: 800mm
- Aperture: f/10
- Shutter speed: 1/2500 second
- ISO: 4000
- Exposure compensation: +2
- Support: Beanbag on deck rail
Why these settings worked here
- 1/2500 sec froze the tiny head movements and kept the eye crisp.
- +2 exposure compensation protected the snow from going gray.
- ISO 4000 was the tradeoff to keep shutter speed up at 800mm.
- f/10 gave me a little extra depth while staying sharp.
Closing
I never get tired of woodpeckers in snow. They look bold, graphic, and purposeful, and that black-and-white pattern plays perfectly against a bright winter background.
If you have suet out after a storm, watch the nearby trunks and posts, not just the feeder itself. A Downy Woodpecker will often work the “support system” first, then slip in for the easy bite.
Beautiful!