January on the Marsh
There is something exciting about taking a walk in the woods in January, especially after a fresh coat of snow has fallen. The snow lies undisturbed before you, a blanket of white with sparkles that shift and rival the twinkle of a diamond as the sun hits it just right. The tree trunks guide you standing still as soldiers showing you the way as you walk by, if you are not careful and hit the lower branches you may get an unexpected snow shower, an exhilarating experience that could be quite the surprise especially if some finds its way down your back. The beauty of a woodland never gets old and always invites exploration.
It can be very quiet in the woods on a calm day, but if you hear a tapping noise and suddenly, a movement catches your eye with a blur of black & white moving up and down the trunk of a tree, it could be a downy woodpecker, one of the more common birds of a Wisconsin woodland in winter. The most common woodpeckers that you might see in our area in winter include the downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker and pileated woodpecker. If you have bird feeders in your yard, they will often visit feeders to eat and enjoy seeds as well as suet.
Woodpeckers are very interesting birds that occupy our area year-round. They have chisel like bills that enable them to peck into both living and dead trees in search of insect larvae and to excavate cavities for nesting. If you have ever seen a rectangular hole in a tree about 3-4 inches long, it could be the work of a pileated woodpecker, the largest woodpecker found in our area. They make a distinctive shaped hole in a tree and there could also be a pile of wood chips at the base. Pileated woodpeckers remind me of the old cartoon “Woody Woodpecker” with a distinctive red cap on the top of its head. They are beautiful in flight with black and white underwings flashing as they go.
All woodpeckers are well adapted to their life in the woodland. Their feet are uniquely designed to allow them to cling and grasp onto tree bark, sometimes even moving upside down on a branch. They are equipped with two toes that face forward and two toes directed backward. In comparison, most perching birds have three toes pointed forward. From their toes to their heads, they have very specialized features including tail feathers that help them balance, long tongues to reach tasty insects, a specially built skull that absorbs shock so well that even with all that hammering they don’t get injured.
All that tapping can also be a form of communication and during mating season it could help them attract a mate. Sometimes, the bird may simply be telling others that this is my territory. Hairy woodpeckers look very similar to downy woodpeckers but are a bit larger and the red bellied woodpecker has a barred black and white back with males having a bright red crown and nape, females a red nape or back of head and both a pinkish red belly. Each species looks slightly different but with the same black, white and red color scheme.
Woodpeckers also have bristly feathers that protect their nostrils from the tiny wood chips that fly into the air as they hammer away into a tree, as well as nictitating membranes that protect and move across the eye to keep them free of flying debris. So many specialized adaptations in one package, really a marvel of avian engineering. During your next walk in a cold, snowy woods, listen for the tap-tap-tap of one of these wonderful native birds and think of just how specialized they are to be able to live here year-round and survive in the cold and snow-covered woodland.
Winter can be a great time to enjoy the outdoors. Find your favorite sledding hill, walk a trail with family and friends, watch the birds and wildlife. Visit Collins Marsh or your favorite State Park or wildlife area for a completely different experience than other seasons offer. Hopefully, you will catch a glimpse of one of these woodpeckers on your way and enjoy the beauty of a fresh coat of sparkling snow!
