The Last Sip
(click on photo to enlarge)
It gets pretty frustrating watching at least a half-dozen Gila Woodpeckers (Melanerpes uropygialis) spend a good part of their day draining the sugar water from the five hummingbird feeders hanging around the house. Not to mention the chore of refilling them or watching a hopeful hummingbird, Verdin or Orange-crowned Warbler hover about the feeders too intimidated by this large avian competitor to even attempt a sip of the sweet liquid. Nevertheless, I had mixed emotions when I looked out the window this afternoon and saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk with this handsome male woodpecker tightly clutched its talons. The empty nectar feeder hung above, just out of the frame of the photo. Undoubtedly the woodpecker was too engrossed in sipping the sweet liquid to notice the stealthy approach of the sharpie, a frequent visitor to the yard that usually finds Mourning Doves an easier prey.
This also reminded me of another recent incident when I heard a loud bang and found a male Gila Woodpecker, belly up, on our back patio. No doubt a rapid escape from a hawk attack sent this woodpecker hurling into the unseen window glass. I picked up what I thought was a dead bird but felt a strong, rapid heartbeat so I placed it in a paper bag and kept it in a dark, warm spot for several hours. I fully expected to find an expired bird when I re-opened the bag but instead I was startled by movement and alarm cries so I gingerly released it from the bag. After a few moments to collect itself the bird flew off. I can’t help but wonder if it was that same bird that met a different and deadly fate today.
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