A few weeks ago, we saw an unusual bird in the backyard. SLW thought it was a pigeon, but while it somewhat resembled a pigeon, after doing some searching, I decided it was some type of dove, or perhaps a Northern Flicker.
Well....the last week or so I could have sworn I heard a woodpecker banging away on a nearby tree. I heard it hammering away most of today, too. SOooooo...I started looking at "Colorado Birds", and then the "Woodpeckers" subsection on the wikipedia.
Son-of-a-gun, the Northern Flicker was listed as a woodpecker!
And this is almost exactly the same bird we saw in the backyard:
Anywhoo....Looks like we have some new neighbors in the area, as I don't recall hearing any here before. I wonder if some of the newer birds we've been noticing this Spring (Cardinals, Blue Jays, and lots of Ravens/Crows) are refugees from the burn areas of last summer.
Hopefully they won't be as intrusive as the %%$$%%!! Canadian Geese that spend Winter here.....
We see two types of woodpeckers here in Sonoran AZ; Gilded Flickers and Gila Woodpeckers. The latter currently have nests in a Mesquite tree out front and in our giant Saguaro by the garage. Both nests are within pecked-out holes. Damsel has photos that I should post on our blog.
ReplyDeleteI was reading that some of them specialize in cacti.
DeleteHopefully it doesn't pick on your carved tree!
ReplyDeleteNo bugs in that tree anymore!
DeleteThey're all over the NW and Greater Idaho.
ReplyDeleteWe have one that drums on a wooden bird house on the side of a big Alder in the front yard. Calling his girlfriends in.
yuk-yuk! I read they don't have many vocal calls, but they do have patterns they drum out to communicate.
Delete"refugees"
ReplyDeleteThat is a great observation.
Not sure what else to call them. "Fleeing Wildlife", maybe?
DeleteIf they're good neighbors we don't mind.
Except for maybe the sound at daybreak.....