MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 5, 2021
Q: Penelope Olson of Appleton writes that she has seen a downy woodpecker at her hummingbird feeder lately. The woodpecker returns daily and drinks down the sugar water that Penelope puts out. She asks, “Is this a common activity or an unusual thing for a woodpecker? Shouldn’t she be off pecking a tree? Should I take that feeder down?” A: The short answer is that this is perfectly fine and normal for woodpeckers. Some other songbirds like chickadees are occasionally seen drinking from hummingbird feeders. And why not? It is a reliable, often abundant, source of sugary food. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox