Backyard Birding

Skip and I have been home for a week. We find it takes as long to recover from a car trip as the trip is long. We have resumed normal activities and last week did a lot of errands, appointments, got the taxes done, etc. etc. We are taking it easy this weekend.

We are keeping a backyard birding list this year. We have two feeders - one that holds 5L of seed with a perch that spins if too much weight (3 grackles+) is on it. The other is a nyger seed feeder that the goldfinches, chickadees, and nuthatches enjoy.

Today Skip spotted a male northern flicker digging around in the back yard.

According to the Sibley, "this species forages largely on the ground, feeding on ants. A large woodpecker, with long, slightly downcurved bill."

It is brownish with a barred back. Both sexes have a red crescent on the nape,

a black breast band,

In eastern North America, the male has a black malar (cheek). In the west, it is red.