Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker, 2.5″ wide by 3.75″ high

One of the most common woodpeckers around, and often easy to find by their tapping sound. That said, I feel like woodpeckers are some of those birds that are so strikingly beautiful and then get looked over because they are so common.

One of the things I love about photographing birds is it helps me slow down and really be present with them. It’s common in the birding world to simply identify a bird and move on, but with a camera I find my self staring intently, watching, anticipating movements, and then I start paying more attention to what a bird is eating or where it’s moving or how it’s communicating with other birds around it. I appreciate that reminder to slow down and be present.

* My Bird Sticker project is supported in part by the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.