By Sally Siko

One of the most striking looking birds we’ve got here in North Carolina is the Red headed Woodpecker. They’ve got a bold black and white plumage combination paired with a cherry red head which sets them apart from any other species found in the state.

I happened to catch some good looks at several pairs of Red head’s while birding at the Pee Dee NWR and Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve in south central NC.
It was neat to watch them catching insects in midair then flying back to a hole in a dead tree to feed their young (or possibly to cache their catch)

Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the summertime months they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pond here at the Pee Dee NWR is the perfect habitat to find them.When winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to join the summer families.

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5