The Battle of Vicksburg

   We traveled up the Mississippi River from Louisiana into southern Mississippi and birded the hardwood lowlands of Vicksburg. In historical times, it was here that Johnny Reb fended off the yankee incursions of the drunken general into the heart of the Confederacy. It was two huge military assaults by Grant himself that led to nought in Vicksburg, but nought led to a heartless siege which after forty days finally starved out the rebels and effectively decided the Civil War. And now, in present times, the quiet of the woods is only broken by the rattle of woodpeckers.

Vicksburg in 1863

Vicksburg Today

   The Red Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a medium sized woodpecker. This black bird is easy to identify due to its head being totally red. The secondary feathers on the trailing edge of each wing are white, making this beautiful bird unmistakable. His uniform of three colors - black, red and white.

Red Headed Woodpecker

   The Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is black, but the black on its back is broken with white bars. Its black head has white lines down the side. The red on its head is split between its throat and the crown of its head. The yellow on its breast and upper belly is difficult to see. Adult males have a red throat; females have a white throat. Its uniform is camouflage, the colors in a disruptive pattern on this bird. And as we shall see, this woodpecker can be very loud.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

   The battle started when the Red Headed Woodpecker and the smaller Yellow Bellied Sapsucker occupied the very same tree. The Red Headed Woodpecker was situated above the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker when Berry spotted them. Suddenly and all at once, the Red Headed Woodpecker attacked the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker by swooping out and diving on the bird below. As far as Berry is willing to say, this was an unprovoked attack. Who was on whose tree ? That remains the historian's question.

   The unprovoked assault sent the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker into a frenzy of squawking complaint. This could be heard throughout the forest. It was very loud and initiated a series of aerial tiffs where both birds flew up to meet each other. Then more squawking. The Yellow Bellied Sapsucker followed the Red Headed Woodpecker from tree to tree, irritating him, chasing it away. The Red Headed Woodpecker who had started the fight could not stop the fight. It went on for some twenty minutes, as we witnessed it. History can indeed repeat itself many times in the hardwood forests surrounding Vicksburg.

   We left the woods and headed home to Memphis.

Robert and Berry

photos courtesy of unknown, dsherony, colleen, bshelton