Strange perch for a woodpecker

[MN Shutterbug]

Until yesterday, I had never seen a woodpecker on any part of nature, other than a tree. He went around the weed a full 360. I can't hardly believe any bugs would have stayed on the weed after he landed. I just find it strange.

[wishing for walleyes]

You sure captured a very nice shot of him.Nice picture.

[ShawnZ]

Oh I've seen downys on mullein before, (don't know if I spelled mullein correctly)....You did a nice job capturing the moment. I don't know for sure, but I just figured they were looking for bugs.

[Jim Almquist]

Nice looking shot Mike. Way better then a telephone pole

[Steve Foss]

Oh I've seen downys on mullein before, (don't know if I spelled mullein correctly)....You did a nice job capturing the moment. I don't know for sure, but I just figured they were looking for bugs.

Spelled correctly, Shawn, and pronounced MULLen. Downies do a lot of pecking on rigid-stalked plants to get to the insects/eggs inside. Many insects do their implanting in mullein, or black oil sunflower or field corn stalks and other similar woody plant stems, and the downies are lightweight enough that they can perch and not pull the stalk down while they dig out the protein inside.

Many was the time out in N.D. that I waited for deer at the junction of sunflower field/shelterbelt/CRP and passed the time watching and listening to the downies quietly and politely excising bugs/eggs from the sunflower stalks.

Nice stuff, Mike!

[Birdsong]

Pretty shot.