Unclear on the Concept

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Wood pecker. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

But this fellow seemed a little unclear on the concept.


I came across this feisty little woodpecker at a local park the other day. As I walked from my car, I heard a strange sequence of sounds coming from the nearby tennis court. Moving in that direction, I spotted him perched on the side of a metal pole, alternately rapping on the hard surface and stopping to listen. After a moment, he hopped up to the top of the chain link fence and peered down as if to inspect the problem from a different angle. Then he chittered loudly and flew along the fence to the next pole.


Where are all the bugs? There ought to be bugs!
After repeating this on at least four poles, each followed with what seemed to be increasingly frustrated chattering, the little woodpecker finally reached the end of the fence. With a final loud chirp, as if to say, "I give up!" he flew off toward a stand of nearby trees.

I might have just imagined it, but I thought I heard a small, satisfied squeak as I walked on. Perhaps he finally found what he was looking for.

Wood.