Mr. Red-bellied woodpecker thought he had possession of the old fence post and had deluded himself into thinking the bark butter bits would all be his. Suddenly, to his shock, another RBW, this one a female, came swooping onto the scene to challenge him.
His total control of the post was only temporary! Facing him across the top of the post was the female RBW, and she was gripping one of the treasured bark butter bits in her beak!
This could have led to a full-fledged “bark-butter-bit-battle, but for some reason the lady decided to take her little B.B.B. and retreat to a nearby tree top, leaving the bemused male once again in full possession of the fence post.
However, if you are thinking her sudden retreat is an indication she intends to leave him in complete control of the territory (and the cache of bark butter bits), you are even more deluded than the hapless male RBW. She’s just hanging around in the wings, so to speak. You will see her again (and again and again).
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 
Fabulous photographs, and love the commentary 🙂
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Aww, thank you for commenting on both. I enjoy taking the photos and writing the commentary.
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You get the most wonderful pictures! I know from experience how much patience that takes when it comes to getting just the right pictures of birds.
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Thanks, Belinda. It does take patience, along with plenty of peanuts and bark butter bits.
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