A Flicker of Interest.

9-20-20 SHORT HILLS: The feeders have been out since we got back to NJ. In VT the feeders were all unfilled because of the bears patrolling the neighborhood. The grackles have been here since we got back and they, and the squirrels, have been draining the feeders practically every day. The grackles always stop here on their way south in the fall for a long visit. It seems early, but the birds seem to know when to move.

This morning I saw a couple of doves on the lawn, but one of them showed me a red flash, and I realized it wasn’t a dove and took a bunch of pix, see below.

The weather has been dry, too dry, and cold. Last night was in the forties and this morning I turned the heat on, a rarity in September. The house plants are all back inside. Most of the dead fall has been taken off the shrubs and some pruning and weeding done. We are still waiting for the tree people to take the huge, broken branch off a black walnut. I forgot to mention that hostas are also in bloom in the last post.

Google has changed the format for the blog, and I hate the new one. 

At first glance, I thought it was another dove, but the flash of red made me take a closer look and spot this Flicker.

He has spots on his breast and bars on his back and wings.

He has a black mustache and a black bib. 

There is a red 'Y' on the nape of the neck.

All of these make him a male Northern Flicker, yellow-shafted type usually found in the east of North America. Flickers are in the woodpecker family. I assume he has started migrating and is resting in our yard. The Grackles, below, have been here for a few weeks and have been mobbing the feeders.