I was headed out of Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge when I spotted a Downy Woodpecker with a beetle in its bill. It was a quick moment, but it was the kind that makes me stop anyway.
Wildlife Notes
Downy Woodpeckers spend a lot of time working surfaces for food. They pick, probe, and tap along bark and stems, hunting insects tucked into cracks and crevices. I’ve seen the same focused foraging behavior when they work seed pods too, like in my post Downy Woodpeckers and Trumpet Vine Seed Pods. Beetles and their larvae are common targets, but they also eat other insects.
This bird was doing exactly what I like to see, a clean foraging sequence with the payoff visible. The beetle in its bill is proof it was finding something worth the effort.
Woodpeckers like this can help keep some insect numbers in check simply by eating what they find under bark. I avoid calling that “pest control” because it depends on the situation, but they are absolutely part of that forest food web.
Photography Notes
I made this photo at 12:32 p.m. on January 13, 2023, right as I was leaving the refuge.
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7 with the Canon RF 100–500mm f/4.5–7.1 L IS USM.
At midday, I’m usually watching my shutter speed and my background more than anything. With small birds on bark, I want enough speed for head movement, and I try to keep the focus point tight on the eye. If you want the exact settings for this frame, they’re available on request.
Closing
I like posts like this because they are simple and honest. A small bird, a real meal, and a quick reminder that good wildlife moments can happen right as you think the shoot is over.