A Downy Woodpecker hammering away on a Luna Moth cocoon...or maybe a Giant Silk Moth cocoon...or maybe...

A couple of weeks ago in February, after one of our heavy, wet snows, I headed over to the Little Miami River to see what I could see. The snow had stuck to thousands upon thousands of branches to create a magical tangle of spidery whiteness. It was a beautiful sight. The branches, heavy and dripping with cold and freshness, had bowed low over the path, muffling sound and creating an incredible winter arched walkway. Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and White-breasted Nuthatches were very active all along the trail, and I could hear the quiet tap-tapping of Downies as they searched for insects wintering under the bark. At one point, however, a very loud hammering drowned out the other sounds. It was strange and it took me a while to discover its source. About eye level down the slope towards the river, a Downy Woodpecker was trying to hammer through the hard shell of a very large moth's cocoon.

In a frozen landscape, a little Downy hammering away on a large cocoon makes a lot of noise!

I love that intent look in his eye. He must know there is a feast inside waiting for him.

You've got to love those woodpecker toes. They are the clingiest birds around...

I sat in the snow in a tangle of honeysuckle branches and watched this beautiful little bird working so hard for his dinner. I wish I had given more attention to the mechanics of the scene instead of the art of it because I've been back three times and can't find it. If my mind had not been so befuddled and pixilated with the beauty of the unique snowscape, I might have taken a photo of its location....or marked it out with paces from a landmark, or took some detailed photos of the cocoon after the Downy gave up and flew away. Befuddlement and pixilation...it happens every time.

I don't know much about moths and their cocoons. Is there anyone out there who does and knows what type of cocoon this is?

Giant Cocoon Mystery Solved!
Dave Wilson from Blue Jay Barrens (another Ohio blogger, yeah!) dropped by the blog and let me know that our little Downy Woodpecker was hammering away on a giant silkworm moth cocoon (Cecropia moth). He writes that "the Cecropia is the only giant silkworm moth that aligns its cocoon along a branch as yours has done." Thank you, Dave!!! If you haven't visited Dave's blog yet, check it out. Dave always has something interesting going on.

Click here for information on the Cecropia moth.