21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Two Birds Taking Command on a Stand

These are two pictures that I combined together in a composite that I photographed where these two wild birds, the Northern Male Cardinal with its crest up, and the male Red- Bellied Woodpecker appeared to be having a confrontation with each other; except that I cut them out of two different sequences that I photographed in the month of October 2023. In reality the annoyed Cardinal was on the stand behind the feeder where a Blue Jay was taking its time eating sunflower seeds. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker had been occupying the feeder with another Blue Jay who was busy eating sunflower seeds while the woodpecker had been eating Suet, but not happy with the other bird being in such close proximity and half turned to give it a contemptuous look...It most likely was chattering loudly too with its beak opened! I shot these pictures through the window.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2023
Date Uploaded: 10.2023
Photo Location: Ellsworth, Wi, United States of America
Camera: COOLPIX P900
Copyright: © Andrea Petersen