Sally… Where are you ~~
Vanished, during the great snow
Without you, no calls.
~ Andrew McGarvie
Before I look like I am mourning a great loss, I would like to preface that Sally has only been gone for a couple of days.
Welcome back to McGravy.com, Andy here!
Let me introduce Sally, my neighbor, friend, and local woodpecker:
Sally has been my neighbor for a little while since I moved into my residence. But only recently did she become my friend, all it took was food… we quickly learned we had similar hobbies – talking too much and eating! (Suet > Seed?)
I know I started off the article with a rather… moving… haiku (it was really tragic); but I would like to reassure myself and inform you that she is most likely just hiding out during this winter storm we are experiencing this weekend.
The great debate…. Downy or Hairy Woodpecker???
In my opinion, after looking at photos, journals, and a guide, I can deduce that this bird is a Younger Female Downy… I think. Anyways, did you know that the average height of a Downy Woodpecker is between 5.5->6.7in and can peck at wood at a rate of 20 times per second (Birds and Animals World, 2025)!? I found that really interesting, as I hope you do as well.
Anyways, as the snow falls and temperatures drop, I wanted to share an interesting bird I get to observe in my day-to-day.
~Andrew McGarvie
References:
Birds and Animals World. (2025, August 25). Downy woodpecker – identification, behavior, habitat, and interesting facts. Birds and Animals World – Wildlife Facts, Pets, Species Guides & Nature Knowledge. https://birdsandanimalsworld.com/downy-woodpecker-bird/
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