WOODPECKERS GALORE...AND MORE

Drawing by K. M.

WOODPECKERS GALORE… AND MORE

By Billy Gilbreath, Guest Writer

The rhythm coming from somewhere around

Alerted her ears to the whack, whack sound

Sitting   in his   chair in a partial slumber

Awakened, quickly, thinking it was thunder

Not so in disgust says the lady of the room

Sound surely isn’t from that lousy raccoon

Again, that sound became clearer than before

A hollow rat, a tat was presenting an encore

Hearing that rat a tat sound from years past

A sign   that winter is gone and spring at last

Knowing that old fellow living down on the plains

Would provide us the answer without much pain

In poetry not prose the details were found

More than requested this bird with a crown

Woodpecker usually, given its common name

The, scientific name, in Latin, not the same

Make your choice from the many around 

In this   world one hundred and eighty are found 

My choice, the one found often in the West

Is here for an environment to build their nest. 

Red Headed woodpecker a name for its head

Both male and female with feathers of red

Their body boldly pattern in white and black

Zygodactyl toes leave unusual strange tracks

Two in the front and two toes in the back

Allows grip on the tree allowing the whack 

 Scientific name, Melanotropes erythrocehalus

Means very little to many, and   perhaps a plus

Oh well since you wonder it must be said

Erythro as in red and cephalus, the head. 

Interested in more to satisfied your mind

The male is polygyamous and many to find

I will end this tale   on a challenging   note

Your time to write on woody and coyote. 

***************************************************************

Billy Gilbreath, Guest Writer
Science Teacher
18 March, 2020