Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Northern Flicker hybrid or integrade?

This flicker has been visiting our feeders recently. For how long, I don't know - I just noticed him a couple days ago. I have looked for images of flickers similar to this one but have not seen one quite like this. Maybe they are all different? It is orange shafted, like the flickers of the west usually are. However that marking on the back of his head is not like the the other hybrids I've seen in photos. They usually show a crescent shape. This is more of a v with the two lines barely coming together in the back. It's not real even and almost looks like someone used a magic marker on this bird.

I'd appreciate any comments on flicker hybrids from folks that have experience with them.

Northern Flicker hybrid or integrade

Northern Flicker hybrid or integrade

Northern Flicker hybrid or integrade

Monday, January 24, 2011

Clarks Nutcracker at the feeder

The Clarks Nutcracker was first observed by William Clark (Lewis and Clark) and bears his name. I suppose it could be called Williams Nutcracker.....
Generally it eats pine seeds which it carries in a pouch unders its tongue and then caches for a rainy, or snowy, or sunny day.
This week a nutcracker decided our suet feeders looked pretty good. I wonder if it has finished its caches of seeds? Or lost them in the snow. They are supposed to have great memories for their caches. 
Other members of the corvid family visit the suet feeders at our house including Stellers Jays and Black-billed Magpies.
Clarks Nutcracker at the feeder

All of the feeder birds seem to dread the arrival of a Northern Flicker and this Clarks Nutcracker was no exception. I don't know why none of the other birds care for the flickers. It's even worse when a magpie arrives.
Clarks Nutcracker leaves when the Northern Flicker arrives