I’ve always had a real interest in animals behavior (hence the Master’s degree in the subject), so I always enjoy watching the behavior of wildlife when I’m outside. Sometimes the behavior is funny, sometimes it’s uncommon, sometimes it’s entertaining, but it’s always interesting. Last weekend, as I was bird watching in my yard l watched this pretty little red bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) stashing food from the feeding station in a nearby oak tree. She flew in, picked out a large seed or piece of corn, flew to the tree and placed it in one of several holes in the older branches. She repeated this behavior over and over, placing each tidbit in a different place. I have seen the male doing something similar, placing the items in a crack in the railing on the deck. That didn’t work too well for him, though, since a grey squirrel came along and easily found the stash and ate it. They do this, especially in the autumn, to make sure they will have food available through the winter months. Their preferred food is usually insects, but during the winter fewer are available and they will turn to other food sources including those stashed seeds. This is just one of the many ways that wildlife prepares for the harsher months of winter.