This morning (November 20) here in Norwich village a colorful male Red- 
bellied Woodpecker was in the backyard and momentarily joined with two  
Blue Jays in foraging on the ground in an area where cracked corn and  
sunflower seed had been scattered yesterday afternoon.

On November 5 in this vicinity I had seen a male Red-bellied perched  
high in a tree. Because that bird flew away out of sight with a long  
direct flight, I suggested at the time that it might be a transient  
rather than a resident bird. However, today's second recent  
neighborhood sighting of a male of this species heightens the  
alternative possibility that there is a resident Red-bellied now here  
in the village.

A solitary Red-bellied Woodpecker when silent can be difficult to  
locate and especially so in a residential neighborhood. It remains to  
be seen whether or not there'll be further records.

Suet might be more attractive for a Red-bellied, but I'd not started  
any suet feeding so far this season to reduce the potential for  
attracting a bear. The operator of a feeding station near the  
intersection of Bragg Hill Road and Beaver Meadow Road here in Norwich  
reported destruction by a bear of the feeders there around the  
beginning of this month. (I don't know the exact date.)

George


George Clark
Norwich, VT

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