[obol] Downy clings...

[Karan & Jim Fairchild]

This brings to mind watching a Pileated Woodpecker feasting on blue elderberries.  It had apparently learned to land upright on the 
stem well below the berry umbels, then work it's way out until its own weight turned the branch (and the bird) upside down.  I had 
to wait to see how on earth it would take off from the head down position once all the berries were eaten. This wasn't a problem, 
even when the inverted takeoff was only a foot above surrounding vegetation.

Flight? I can't even swallow upside down!
Jim Fairchild

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jason Randolph (Conservation For The Oregon Coast)" <conserve at tidelink.net>
To: "Obol" <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 9:03 AM
Subject: [obol] Downy clings...


| Hola all... I am feeling quite ill today and stayed home from work. As I
| passed a window I caught a glimpse of something moving. I stopped, gazed
| and discovered a male DOWNY WOODPECKER clinging to a small willow shoot
| no more than 1/4 inch in diameter. I actually watched him work many of
| the same sized shoots, all just a few feet from the ground.
|
| I have never seen a Downy on such objects. Is this a fairly normal
| behavior? In the process of climbing the shoots, his weight would bend
| the shoot, causing him to go backwards, at which time he would fly to
| another.
|
| Anyhow, thanks for the responses...
|
| Jason in Charleston
|


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