Recently the red bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) have been very full of energy and spunk. There are at least two pairs that come and go on my property, and you never know what they will do. Sometimes they will fly right towards me and suddenly turn away at the last minute or they will circle a tree trunk several times looking for just the right spot to look for insects. The males will also circle the trees mock fighting or chasing each other as they vie for territory. It’s so interesting watching them forage for food, and once they’re full, they will preen, scratch, and fluff themselves before dozing off for a few minutes. Last week I captured Woodrine (I call the males Woodrow) in between bouts of pounding on an old tree. She was in perfect profile with a really lovely background and it very much gave me a springtime feeling. Before long they will be starting this years families, but right now they are a lot of fun as they prepare.