Jfairy 'Woodpecker 



That steady rat-a-tat-tat I hear in my apple tree 

 is sweet music to my ears. A hairy woodpecker 

 is pecking out a beat with his beak against the 

 rough bark. When the tapping pauses for a 

 second or two, I know what has happened: the 

 bird has located a cocoon or a nest of fat larvae 

 in a crevice under the bark. Then, flick! goes 

 his long, barbed tongue, and down his throat 

 slides a morsel of food. 



I watch him at this meal-getting, and I admire 

 his skill. Well equipped for his woodworking 

 profession, he has short, stubby, powerful legs; 

 and four sharp toes on each foot two pointing 

 forward and two backward enable him to rivet 

 himself to the bark of the tree. Helping him to 

 hold himself in this vertical working position are 

 his strong, stiff tail feathers. And for chiseling 

 into the hard wood he uses a sturdy bill that 

 operates like a mighty trip hammer. A shock- 

 absorber mechanism in his head reduces the jar 

 from the heavy, pecking blows. 



The male bird makes an attractive picture, 

 feathered in black and white with a bright red 

 patch on his head. The female is less colorful, 

 but is still attractive. I tempt these birds to the 

 community by wiring a piece of suet to a limb 

 of the apple tree. 



