Flicker!

We had a great birding day on Saturday- sunny and clear out and we spent most of the day outside. Even enjoying a visit with some friends out on the deck, we had a cooper's hawk fly directly overhead, peeping away. Turkey vultures were flying off in the distance as well.
Dave, Lola and I were out front gardening (okay, Dave was digging and Lola and I were moral support) and the cowbirds, blackbirds and chickadees weren't bothered at all by our presence and continued to feed away. They were all singing their little hearts out. I'm always cheered by the song of a red-winged blackbird. Here's a pic of one snacking with St. Francis.


A female and two male cowbirds feeding on seed.



On Sunday, Dave was looking outside and trying to identify a sparrow, when he spotted a Northern Flicker. This is our first sighting of the year and we got some nice pictures of it. The day prior, Dave mentioned he thought he might have heard a flicker, so it must have been in the area and we happened to see it on Sunday. Last year, we only saw the flicker maybe three or four times, so while he's around, he's a rare treat to sight. The flicker is a woodpecker, but I didn't count him in my earlier mention of the three we see regularly here. They migrate as well, so we don't see them in the winter the way we see the other woodpeckers year round. Unfortunately the flicker population is on a decline in general. I'm not too sure why other than the usual culprits of people and development, but hopefully we can see a turn around for them. They really are beautiful and quite unique looking. I love their colouring, movements and curved beak. We usually see the flicker on the ground, but this time we saw him in and around the tree. Another interesting note is that one name for a group of flickers is a "menorah". I love all the different names that exist for a flock of birds!



The mass of blackbirds (grackles, cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds) are back in full force as well- probably 50 or more are out on the lawn today. Here's a grackle checking out buddha.

And as I write this, Dave just called down to say there's a Cooper's Hawk in the front yard again right now.