I hiked around Lord Hill Park on this fine sunny but coldish day. I sat and
watched a hairy woodpecker work some alders quite low to the ground. After a
bit a troop of chickadees arrived and to my surprise, several of them flew
close and started chattering loudly while a couple of them actually dove at
the woodpecker from above. The woodpecker flicked its wings each time one
of the black and white bombers came down on him, and after a bit, the
woodpecker retreated out of view. I have seen chickadees do something like
this at a feeder towards other chickadees but never seen chickadees take on
a larger bird.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
Snohomish County, WA