Who's Boss?

There's a favorite perch near my front door. It happens to be the stump of an old apple tree, long since down, positioned, very handily, in front of a holly bush. And right in front of the holly stands the bird bath, a favorite place for birds to visit in the winter when they're looking for an unfrozen source of water. Most every bird eyeing the feeders or stopping by for a drink, will at some point take their turn on the old apple stump. Mockingbirds, jays, towhees, sparrows, titmice, chickadees and Downies, and most recently, a male Red-bellied Woodpecker. It's the taking turns part that has caught my attention recently, on more than one occasion.

Watching the birds interact at the feeders can sometimes be surprising. Mostly, they seem to come in waves, each bird, taking their turn, peacefully waiting for whoever is feeding to grab their seed and go. But I see other types of behavior, as well, like two titmice, a goldfinch, and a Downy, all feeding at the same time. Or when the seemingly peaceful White-breasted Nuthatch starts wing-flexing and warning everyone else away. And then there's the Bluejay who sometimes flies in like a thug and dethrones the Mockingbird from the holly perch.

I've seen many birds shy away from the Mockingbird, but this is clearly not always the case. On this occasion, a Red-bellied male landed on the perch. I slowly nudged the door open with my foot, hoping to get an image or two without disturbing him. With my eye to the camera, and my focus on the woodpecker, I heard a commotion but didn't pause to look until I had captured the two images below.

In the first, the woodpecker has flared his wings and tail and faces the intruder, a Mockingbird, with his beak high. If you enlarge the image and check the very top, you'll see a bird foot on the perch.

The Mockingbird tried one more time to claim his spot, but not only did the woodpecker not budge, he moved toward him. The Mockingbird settled for a nearby limb and the Red-belly reigned...this time.

Doesn't he look regal with his sunlit red head and fanned tail?

So regal, that I thought he deserved a place in my sketchbook.

And there was space for the mocker, too.

What can I say? They're all boss!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #70 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.