It turns out you are a woodpecker going about your daily routine. That mostly involves checking out the local trees to find tasty bugs. If they are hidden away, you pound a hole in the tree to dig them out.
In the course of your day, you end up on a telephone pole. This is a bit more unusual since the bark has all been cleared off so you have a clear view of the wood. You pull a few bugs out of the large cracks – life is good.
Eventually you come face to face with that interesting moment. You have enough experience to know that the knot is harder than the rest of the wood. There really isn’t any good reason to pound away on it, but still it sits there. Inviting. Taunting.
So if you are that woodpecker, do you do it … or knot?
Krahnpix 
We have had one fellow for the past few years who establishes his territory every evening by doing his ’rounds’. First, a pine. Then, the yard-light pole. Then, to the metal rod on the shop. It makes such a glorious sound that carries all over the yard – I don’t know how he deals with the ensuing head-ache… 🙂 Great shots! I have never tried catching one – I haven’t been taking photos for s full year yet – so now that I see this, the challenge is on!!
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Thanks. Now that you know the routine, it should be easy. I know how you like challenges.
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I love the photo of the woodpecker next to the knot in the wood, so graphically pleasing (and great job not to blow out the white feathers!)
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Yeah those white feathers can be a challenge. When I saw the knot and the woodpecker I knew I had to something interesting with it. Glad you liked it.
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Beautiful pictures. Engaging
Cheers
Vishal
http://www.vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com
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Thanks so much.
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I like these woodpeckers! And your way of capturing this one, with your camera, give me a good look of how beautiful his plumage is ! Great shot . // Maria
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Thanks so much. It is a beautiful bird.
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Great looking bird
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I thot so too.
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Maybe knot this time.
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Nicely put.
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Silly, and beautiful. Great and interesting combination! 😉
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That is exactly what I was trying and stated so well.
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Beautiful Downy Girl – I think I would not hit the knot – but then again my tongue doesn’t wrap around my brain like a shock absorber – at least that’s what I read on another blog. These birds rate very high on my likabilty scale 🙂
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Their brains can certainly take a lot more pounding! You have to like a bird that quirky! I may just need to see your likeability scale some day.
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You know – I really like them all 🙂 Quirky earns big points in my book.
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If you are a woodpecker you so totally do it, knot or not. 🙂
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Nicely stated!
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Dear Lyle ,The pictures of the woodpecker are beautiful so are the comments.I have always enjoyed your pictures.Thanks and regards, Ganesh.
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Thanks so much for your kind comments.
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I have a woodpecker in my neighborhood that, for some reason, gets his bell rung by hammering on our metal outdoor light domes. It’s quite a sound echoing through the live oak trees. Can’t imagine the rush he must get from that reverberation.
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That would be an interesting feeling and sound! It’s sort of amusing that he does it again.
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Beautiful (pictures) and engaging (words)!
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I appreciate that.
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Some might say that the world (apparently including birds) can be divided into two groups–the haves and the have knots. Nice job setting up your punch line. You drew us in by starting out with the comfortable, familiar view of the woodpecker, visually and verbally, and we followed, unaware that we were being set up.
I suspect that you knew that you would have to write a posting as soon as you saw that second photo–it is crying out for at least a clever caption. The shots are beautiful. I know from experience how hard it is to capture a Downy Woodpecker with such detail.
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You are right – as soon as I saw that photo, I knew I had to do something with it. Glad you liked it.
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😆 avec de la patience et de la persévérance on peut venir à bout du noeud 😉
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Thanks for the comment.
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Great post sprinkled with the usual humour 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed it.
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so beautiful.
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Thank so much.
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