Thanks to everyone who replied both on the list and privately to my earlier post about a Downy Woodpecker at a hummingbird feeder. So far at least eight people have confirmed seeing this behavior. Apparently this behavior, while uncommon, does occur with at least occasionally. Comments ranged from "this year is the first time ever" to "routine". It's impossible to tell without further inquiry whether some of the birds may have been feeding on insects. However, at least one observer specifically noted an absence of insects at the feeder. As Bob Evans noted, energy is energy! By the way, I second Rebecca Hinkle's recommendation that you try to see a woodpecker feeding up close so that you can see the bird's tongue. It's an amazing sight. -- Bill Heck ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]