As we were eating a late breakfast on our day off in late January, we experienced a special treat.  A male and

Male Northern Flicker

female Northern Flicker were eagerly eating at the suet feeder.  You know, the male is the one with a large red tear drop shape pattern on his cheeks the female does not have the red markings.  When they fly up and away from you, the tail feathers are spread and the underside is orange.

Before this pair finished feeding, the male and female Yellow Shafted Flickers arrived.  The male has a large red V shape on the back of its head and the female lacks the red marking.  The other distinguishing marking is the underside of their tail is yellow.  The Yellow Shafted Flicker is not as common in our area as the Northern  Flicker.

Yellow Shafted Flicker

It is especially helpful when both the male and female of the same species feed together.

There must have been a sense of safety and power as the male Northern Flicker actually forced a European Starling away from the feeder.  Flickers are usually rather timid and the Starlings are certainly aggressive.

As the two pairs of Flickers continued to feed, two of their cousins waited their turn in a nearby tree, the Pileated Woodpecker (I haven’t yet learned how to tell a male and female apart) and a male Downy.

What an exciting time to observe the woodpeckers!

Two winters ago, I had a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Now that I am paying closer attention to detail, I am

Male Downy Woodpecker

confident that the Hairy Woodpecker has frequented my feeders as it is larger than the Downy.  Male and female Downy’s are at my suet feeders throughout the day.  The female Downy lets me get very close, within six feet.

Red Breasted Sapsucker