It is always a lot of fun to watch a downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) at work. They tend to be very busy little birds that move rapidly from place to place as they search for insects under the bark and in the crevices of the trees. Part of the fun of watching them is that they behave almost as if gravity doesn’t exist. They move speedily up and down tree trunks and branches, make full circles around branches in any position, and glide almost effortless from one branch to another. The really incredible part is that they do all of these things in the blink of an eye. Keeping track of them is sometimes quite challenging, and just when you think you know where they are headed next, they suddenly change directions just to keep you on your toes. There is never a dull moment when there is a downy woodpecker around.