Nature Miramichi:

Hi All,

Deana and I have been hoping for a couple of years for a visit from the considerably rare in NB, Red-bellied Woodpecker. In fact it is rare even in Maine and southern Quebec but quite common in eastern USA and southern Ontario. It is essentially a non-migratory bird that does come to feeders. We have had brief visits for the last two days at about 7:40 a.m., about five minutes before sunrise. It came back twice this afternoon briefly. There is competition at our feeders and its favourite food seems to be the popular shelled un-salted peanuts although it did seem to snatch a sunflower seed or two as well. It apparently won’t hold its own against Blue Jays of which we have quite a number. It did also seem to give way to a Hairy Woodpecker but aggressively replied to what seemed to be a threat from a European Starling. This is a bird that neither of us has seen before. Nelson Poirier commented that there is a chance it will continue to visit through the winter although perhaps it is early yet for such a pattern to develop. We are hoping though.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id

Peter