This appears to be a copulating pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, but if you look closely at the bird on the bottom in the third photo, it looks like its red crown is solid without a patch of gray like a female would have. Is this just a trick on the lighting? What do you think?
Photos taken on April 11
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7
I was able to witness a pair of Downy/Hairy Woodpeckers copulating. I’m unsure of where they nested or if they had any successful broods. Sorry for the bad photo quality.
Photos taken on April 13, 2022
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7
I was lucky enough to witness a pair of Mourning Doves copulating on a fallen tree. I was never able to locate the nest but this was still a special experience. The doves rubbed heads before breeding, afterwards, the male fanned his tail feathers in the direction of the female for a few minutes, why did he do that?
Photos taken on April 14, 2022
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7
MOURNING DOVE ARE PRESENT YEAR AROUND AT OUR FEEDERS. UP TO 5 WILL ROOST TOGETHER ON THE DECK OR IN NEARBY TREES. IT IS OUR ASSUMPTION THAT THESE 5 ARE AN INTACT “FAMILY” GROUP FROM THE PRIOR BREEDING SEASON–IF A 6TH BIRD APPEARS, IT IS DRIVEN AWAY. THESE DOVE ARE REMARKABLY PATIENT WHILE AWAITING TO FEED AT PERCHING NEARBY EITHER DOSING IN (APPARENT) OBLIVION OR SCANNING OTHER SPECIES MUCH MORE FRANTIC COMING AND GOINGS. WHEN IN THE TRAY FEEDER, THIS SPECIES IS DOMINANT NOT TOLERATING INTRA-SPECIFIC INTERLOPERS OF LESSER BULK. STELLER’S JAY MAY DISPLACE THESE DOVE, BUT NOT WITHOUT A TUSSLE AND CONSIDERABLE “BULKING-UP” BY THE DOVE. BREEDING BEGINS MARCH AND COPULATION IS RECORDED AS LATE AS 18 JULY.