Comments on: Spring Woodpecker Drumming

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Sat, 01 May 2010 19:40:34 +0000

I dealt with the Flicker which drummed on the side of our house by drumming back! From the inside wall of course. It worked. But I am curious if there is some biological reason for this, or just dumb luck on my part?

By: lyanda

lyanda — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:35:58 +0000

Lovely thoughts. Yes, the red-shafted and the yellow-shafted have at times been considered separate species, but now we beleive them to be the same species–Northern Flicker. Hybrids of the two color morphs are common.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:30:58 +0000

Those must be red-shafted flickers. We have yellow-shafted here on the East Coast. They come in waves in the spring and fall. The sight of that white butt in bobbing, wavy flight always livens things up. Sorry to get misty here, but they were here long before we built wooden houses, and I hope they long survive us.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:43:47 +0000

Heard the flicker pounding on the big maple tree in our side yard and calling loudly yesterday. There will be baby flickers somewhere in the neighborhood this year if he has his way!

By: lyanda

lyanda — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:42:49 +0000

Oh my goodness Sharon, thank you so much. Love your stories.

By: lyanda

lyanda — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:42:14 +0000

Thanks, S.L. Alas, we have no mockingbirds in Seattle, so I’m afraid I can’t help you! Best of luck…

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:01:31 +0000

I just finished reading Crow Planet twice (which I never do). You inspired me to begin writing my wildlife observations down. I realize I have been a suburban naturalist all this time, but had never taken that step. We have lived on an untidy shy-acre just west of Bothell for 37 years. When our children were young, we had 12 Rhode Island Red chickens and a buff orpington banty hen named Charlotte who raised their babies. How we all loved her. There weren’t any houses around us then and we could keep a rooster. Almost every spring, we hear flickers pounding on the flashing on the roof of the loafing shed where we used to feed Patch, the small pinto horse we had then. The sound always brings a smile.

By: SagaciousHillbilly

SagaciousHillbilly — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:06:53 +0000

After you figure out how to deal with flickers, please tackle the mocking bird problem. It’ll be soon that they return to WV and begin raising hell at all hours of the night with their amorous repertoire of bird calls that includes every bird from the Canadian border to Amazon jungle.
We’ll have about a month highly interrupted sleep.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:46:55 +0000

What a lovely reminder that we share our space with others who have different habits, although males making noise for attention seems familiar. We are all on a continuum of habits! I am laughing about your love of malicious nature writing.

By: andrea pratt

andrea pratt — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:31:45 +0000

We have several resident Flickers who never make noise on our house. Their call is fantastic and they are such beautiful birds. They can hang for ages on the suet basket, though!