[TN-Bird] Unusual hairy woodpecker behavior????

From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:51:57 -0400 (EDT)
Hi Birders,
 
While having my lunch about an hour ago, I noticed "something" moving along 
 the bottom of the top rail of my deck here in the Charlotte Park area of  
Nashville, Davidson County, TN.  I stopped eating and directed my attention  
to the said "critter."  It turned out to be a male hairy woodpecker  
"inching" its way along the bottom of the rail.  He was moving in a way  
similar 
to the little green caterpillars that we called "inch worms" or  "measuring 
worms" when I was a little girl growing up in Florida.  As the  hairy 
"inched" his way along, he was completely upside-down and presented a very  
unusual 
sight as he moved along the bottom of the six foot segment of the deck  
rail.  His body moved in a "humping" motion in which he'd "arch his back"  with 
each move which gave him the inch-worm's behavioral pattern.  When he  got 
to the barrier presented by the next post, he gave up and flew into the tree 
 behind my deck.  I have seen many woodpeckers and other  species hanging 
upside down during my years of birding, but I cannot  remember ever having 
seen any put on THIS "inch-worm" performance before.   Birds are extraordinary 
in that one can never predict what they might be seen  doing next!  Guess 
that is part of what makes them such an exhilarating  study.
 
Important Non-Bird note re breaking news:  Fox Radio just announced  that 
Neil Armstrong just died.  He was the first man to walk on the Moon  which he 
did on my 35th birthday, July 20, 1969.  I was living in  Indialantic, FL, 
at the time and had seen the launch, had had a VIP tour of the  VAB 
(Vertical Assembly Building) where I touched the rocket that took them  there, 
attended the "roll-out" when they took the rocket from the VAB to the  gantry 
(launch pad), then had the days of the launch and Moon landing off as our  
schools closed to let the children of NASA employees have the days off to see  
their parents work come to fruition.  WHAT a time that was for all of  us!  
We all had friends who were very involved in the project!   May Commander 
Armstrong have a glorious place with our Lord in  Heaven.  May God bless his 
soul.
 
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
[TN-Bird] Unusual hairy woodpecker behavior????

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