Bird ID Please? This guy took me by surprise. Went in to grab a camera and then he was 200 feet away and I only got one shot without even checking settings. Insulator included in crop...

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

This guy took me by surprise. Went in to grab a camera and then he was 200 feet away and I only got one shot without even checking settings. Insulator included in crop for size comparison.

Young male northern flicker? This is the first time I've seen him around here.

Saleavitt10 Loc: Maine

Definitely in the Flicker family. I believe you have both the red-shafted and yellow-shafted in your neck of the woods.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Saleavitt10 wrote:

Definitely in the Flicker family. I believe you have both the red-shafted and yellow-shafted in your neck of the woods.

Thanks! I'm hoping this guy will give me the chance for some good shots. :-D

BillH Loc: Lancaster County PA

I agree on flicker family. Would like to see breast before I try to say more.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

BillH wrote:

I agree on flicker family. Would like to see breast before I try to say more.

Thanks. This is the only shot I got, which is pretty crappy, hand held at 200 feet. Hopefully he'll come back more often. I still need to Google red-shafted vs yellow-shafted.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Oops! We've been shafted! From Cornell:
"The red-shafted and yellow-shafted forms of the Northern Flicker formerly were considered different species. The two forms hybridize extensively in a wide zone from Alaska to the panhandle of Texas. A hybrid often has some traits from each of the two forms and some traits that are intermediate between them."

I think this is one of those hybridized thingies.

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

OddJobber wrote:

This guy took me by surprise. Went in to grab a camera and then he was 200 feet away and I only got one shot without even checking settings. Insulator included in crop for size comparison.

Young male northern flicker? This is the first time I've seen him around here.

Nice catch, Larry Hope he sticks around for you to get a better look!

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Swamp-Cork wrote:

Nice catch, Larry Hope he sticks around for you to get a better look!

Thanks, Swamp. He did come back today, and this time he brought his girlfriend to look over the neighborhood. I think they'r moving in and hopefully looking for a nest site. How cool is that?

4X4Lee

That is a red shafted flicker , did you see the red feather in its left wing. Nice shot.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

OddJobber wrote:

Thanks! I'm hoping this guy will give me the chance for some good shots. :-D

is this near your house . put out a suite feeder if it is . I have ten of them
coming every day . all day long . and steller jays eight of them , and harie wood peckers a pair . and nut hatches, chickadees . a couple towhees
two doves . and a thrush . and a couple sparrows . I quit feeding now as the
bugs are back , and robins and the hummers are back . the were costing me
$12 a week all winter in suite blocks and black sun seeds . I'm going to try making my own next year . but it works out I make and sell suite feeders there just as good if not better than what you get from the feed stores and wall mart for $23 to $30 , I sell mine for $10 and there made out of cedar . I'll sell to anyone on on the hog for $8 you pay for shipping , there not heavy
if interested send me PM on hog . Bram.

BillH Loc: Lancaster County PA

OddJobber wrote:

Thanks, Swamp. He did come back today, and this time he brought his girlfriend to look over the neighborhood. I think they'r moving in and hopefully looking for a nest site. How cool is that?

The first photo you submitted is a flicker, but are the birds in the photos that were submitted later the same bird? They look more like a sparrow - house sparrow? No offense, they just don't look like the same bird
Bill

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

OddJobber wrote:

Thanks, Swamp. He did come back today, and this time he brought his girlfriend to look over the neighborhood. I think they'r moving in and hopefully looking for a nest site. How cool is that?

Thanks for the second look, Larry. Looks like things are working out just fine!

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

BillH wrote:

The first photo you submitted is a flicker, but are the birds in the photos that were submitted later the same bird? They look more like a sparrow - house sparrow? No offense, they just don't look like the same bird
Bill

Oh sh*t! I was wrong. :oops:

I wanted to see a flicker again and was in too much of a hurry. On closer look these birds are totally different (beak, neck, tail, size).

The pair of birds seem to be finches, either house or cassin.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Bram boy wrote:

I make and sell suite feeders there just as good if not better than what you get from the feed stores and wall mart for $23 to $30 , I sell mine for $10 and there made out of cedar . I'll sell to anyone on on the hog for $8 you pay for shipping , there not heavy
if interested send me PM on hog . Bram.

Thanks for the offer, Bram, but I have a 30-year collection of carpentry tools in my shop. :-D You're right about the prices, though. A feed store here has a variety of feeders, generally $18 to $25.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

BillH wrote:

The first photo you submitted is a flicker, but are the birds in the photos that were submitted later the same bird? They look more like a sparrow - house sparrow? No offense, they just don't look like the same bird
Bill

your joking of course :roll: