Sunny Saturday

Today turned out to be a beautiful sunny Saturday. I watched a male red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, pecking away on Mr. Stumpy for several minutes before I thought about getting a picture of him. By that time, of course, he had hopped to a spot where he was harder to see, so I've circled him in the picture.

Although they are called "red-bellied" the red is very low on the belly, and it's nothing like as bright as the red on the head. It looks like the bird took a dustbath in reddish powder.

Later in the afternoon, I took our son to see the movie "Happy Feet". Although this movie ends triumphantly, I have to admit the views of Earth from space brought tears to my eyes. I use so many resources, just from being born in the US in a consumer culture, that sometimes I feel guilty being a human being. If you've ever paged through Peter Menzel's Material World: A Global Family Portrait, you've seen what I mean.

Next time I am coming back as a crow.