Saturday morning doing paperwork - looked up from the computer and saw this pair of Gila Woodpeckers under the porch roof. For once, they hadn't made a sound.
When they flew off, the male flew to the mesquite tree
and landed on a branch between a pair of House Finches.
I didn't want to scare them away, so I photographed them through my study window.
Your woodpeckers look similar to our red-shafted Northern Flickers, which come to my balcony every once in a while and steal sunflower seeds. (Northern Flickers are also woodpeckers.) In fact, one of them tried to stab a peanut and then watch it roll off the side. Funny.
I was thinking the same thing as Cynthia. They look like Northern Flickers. Quite a beautiful bird. Jonathan Franzen once wrote that he thought they embodied the delicate look of a dove with the drive of a woodpecker. I agree.
R.D. and Cynthia - When I first saw these birds in Arizona, I thought they were flickers, too. We used to see Northern Flickers in Connecticut. But the Gila doesn't have the breast markings. I have a love-hate relationship with these guys - they disturb my sleep, drill holes in my house, make the most raucous noises. At the same time, they're beautiful, fly with a wonderful dipping movement, and I find I can't keep my eyes off them. I particularly like to watch them out in the desert on the saguaros.
I retired from the University of Arizona, where I coordinated distance learning. New enthusiasms include learning about digital photography and photoprocessing, archaeology, theatre, and observing the natural world around me.
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5 comments:
Your woodpeckers look similar to our red-shafted Northern Flickers, which come to my balcony every once in a while and steal sunflower seeds. (Northern Flickers are also woodpeckers.) In fact, one of them tried to stab a peanut and then watch it roll off the side. Funny.
I was thinking the same thing as Cynthia. They look like Northern Flickers. Quite a beautiful bird. Jonathan Franzen once wrote that he thought they embodied the delicate look of a dove with the drive of a woodpecker. I agree.
R.D. and Cynthia - When I first saw these birds in Arizona, I thought they were flickers, too. We used to see Northern Flickers in Connecticut. But the Gila doesn't have the breast markings. I have a love-hate relationship with these guys - they disturb my sleep, drill holes in my house, make the most raucous noises. At the same time, they're beautiful, fly with a wonderful dipping movement, and I find I can't keep my eyes off them. I particularly like to watch them out in the desert on the saguaros.
Pam, these photos are breathtaking!
So beautiful this bird and his wings is gorgeous!
Hi sonia! Aren't they beautifully patterned birds? I'm glad you like the photos.
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