The red-bellied woodpeckers are my favorite of that family. They seem to have more personality than other members of the woodpecker family. They are a shy bird and will scold me almost anytime I go out into the yard in the back where the feeder is located. They readily come to the feeder where we mix our own blend of seeds which include nuts and fruits specifically to attract them. They also make good use of the feeder in spring when they will come for seeds to supplement the diet of their new offspring until they are able to fly, at which point they bring the newly fledged young to the feeder.
We had a pine break about six feet up and fall over, leaving a stump. The red-bellied male appeared to be interested in taking pieces of it, for what purpose I'm not sure. They are one of several woodpecker species that will cache food for later use. I had a branch strapped to the back deck to use as a perch in which a carpenter bee had drilled a perfectly round hole in the thicker part of the limb and hollowed out the inside. I happened to see a red-belly one day spot the hole, inspect it, then go to the feeder and get a seed. He came back and stuffed the seed in the hole for later retrieval - although I doubt he ever returned for it.
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