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Today a new guy, a red head I haven't seen before, was in my backyard. After looking at this chart, pretty sure it was a red-bellied woodpecker. Not sure why it's called red-bellied, because it had a white belly.
It's called a red-bellied woodpecker because it has a blush of red on its belly. You probably saw a female, the red blush is not as evident on them as it is on males.
Which is why checking more than one or two images is always a good idea. The books that show juvenile, adult, male, female, breeding, and nonbreeding plumages provide a more complete idea of what a species looks like.
Gulls are extra-difficult, because there is more than one juvenile stage of plumage.
Great photos and chart. Nothing more fun to me than bird watching, seeing species you've never seen before, or even heard of...I was thrilled the first time I saw Pileated woodpecker.
OP, in Mass., you might be near the flyway birds use to migrate back and forth. That's when you might see strangers at your feeder, stopping by briefly on their way somewhere else. So this spring be watching! And then again in fall.
Great photos and chart. Nothing more fun to me than bird watching, seeing species you've never seen before, or even heard of...I was thrilled the first time I saw Pileated woodpecker.
OP, in Mass., you might be near the flyway birds use to migrate back and forth. That's when you might see strangers at your feeder, stopping by briefly on their way somewhere else. So this spring be watching! And then again in fall.
Good idea! I will watch for the migrating birds heading back to their summer homes.
I will sometimes see a "stranger" stop by the bird feeder for lunch and then fly away, not to be seen again.
One such visitor was a bird that looked like this pic I found on the net. It was here for one meal, then moved in. I forget which bird this is but it sure is pretty.
I will sometimes see a "stranger" stop by the bird feeder for lunch and then fly away, not to be seen again.
One such visitor was a bird that looked like this pic I found on the net. It was here for one meal, then moved in. I forget which bird this is but it sure is pretty.
I was lucky to see one at the bird feeder two years in a row. Each time the bird only stayed for lunch, then went on its way.
We have quite an assortment of birds including a pair of Red Headed Woodpeckers who seem to be the only birds capable of instilling fear in the Grackles. The Grackles are terrible about scarfing down all the bird seed. DH commented the bird seed usage suddenly went up -- I told him that's because the Grackles are back.
The Bluebirds are also scouting. Their boxes are cleaned and ready for them.
We also just put up our 5th Purple Martin house. They are cousins to the Barn Swallows, all of whom are friendly and comical. I have audio to the horse barn and love to hear a mated pair of Swallows converse early in the morning.
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