Northern Flicker, Red-Shafted, Male

I was very curious as to what was digging holes that appeared in the backyard in the last week or so. I thought it could be the aftereffects of the landscaping crew that had come to whack down the dried native grasses in preparation for new spring growth. Maybe it was where the crew had pulled weeds out and left small craters, or so I thought. 

Then today I noticed a Northern Flicker foraging on the ground in that area. A male red-shafted was digging up the area where I had noticed ant mounds after the snow melted recently. That made sense as Flickers feed largely on the ground in search of ants and beetles. I did not think that ants were out already, but Mr. Flicker knew otherwise. Flickers produce antacid saliva to neutralize the acidic defense of ants.

The Northern Flicker is such a beautiful large woodpecker with a wonderfully distinctive shrill call. I hear them throughout the day in Aldea, especially this time of year. It’s a pause-moment for me whenever I hear one. Only the male has a red malar or stripe under its eye, the female is all gray in the face. Both have a black breastband. Their backs are barred black and brown, the belly is spotted black on white. The underside of their wings is reddish-orange. Their strong, chisel-like bill is able to bore deep into tree trunks or into hard-packed dirt in search of ants. This is the only brown-backed woodpecker in New Mexico.

While I was hastily trying to capture photos of it while near to the window, the male did me a favor and spread its wings to preen and revealed the red shafts of its wings. The red feather shafts are quite visually arresting in contrast to the dark feathers. Thank you Mr. Flicker.

Northern Flickers are a year-round resident of most of New Mexico. Of note: all woodpeckers use drumming instead of a vocal call to proclaim territory and to attract mates. I hear the drumming this time of year in Aldea.

A group of flickers are collectively known as a “guttering”, “menorah”, or “Peterson” of flickers. 

Northern Flicker, red-shafted, male in Aldea. Click on photos to enlarge.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker Male

One week ago, a female Ladder-backed Woodpecker arrived in our Aldea backyard to hammer at the shelled sunflower seeds encased in one of the seed cylinders. That unexpected landing was heralded in an instant post about this zebra-striped (of sorts) woodpecker. 

On Friday, just in time for the Great Backyard Bird Count ( GBBC), a male graced us with his presence as well. This was my first opportunity to get close-ups of a male. What a stunner! I had no idea that his red head-cap feathers form what appears, upon closer study, to be a red, spiky mohawk! Really beautiful and striking from many angles. 

I am cutting this post short in order to add more photos than normal since I think so many of them show the beautiful details of this most dramatic bird. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do posting them today. 

Male Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Click on photos to enlarge.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker Female

Coming from a graphic design background, I have fond memories of design school class studies creating patterns in the strictly limited palette of black and white. It’s no surprise I have great fondness for the stunning graphic zebra pattern of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker’s back and wings. It almost takes my breath away when it arrives in our Aldea yard—which it rarely seems to do. 

But today, just in time for the first day of the 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a female visited the seed cylinder feeder and also pecked at the bark in one of the juniper trees. I observed it at two different times today gorging on sunflower seeds. Truly an amazing pattern to its back that really contrasts with the junipers and other dull brown and yellow-beige dried grass winter tones in the yard right now. The females have a black head cap and the males have a distinctive red head cap. These are highly visible, easy-to-spot birds when they are out in the open.

Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are a year-round resident of most of New Mexico. Santa Fe is in the northern part of their range in the state, but the range does extend up into southeastern Colorado. Its name comes from the black and white striping that resembles ladder rungs. I think it one of the most dramatic of woodpeckers along with the Northern Flicker, which we also see and hear in Aldea regularly. This woodpecker was once called the Cactus Woodpecker.

A group of woodpeckers are collectively known by the nouns “descent”, “drumming”, or “gating” of woodpeckers. 

Female Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Aldea. Click on photos to enlarge.

Mountain Bluebird

There are no words to describe the beauty of the male Mountain Bluebird when the sun hits its stunning blue iridescent wings, back, and tail feathers at just the right angle. I stopped dead in my tracks the first time I saw a male in the crisp morning light here in Aldea. I see them frequently in contrast to the green junipers zipping through the arroyos. I love that flash of electric blue. We are truly privileged to have them here year-round in northern New Mexico.

This winter, a male has inconsistently roosted on the inside of the steel I-beams that frame one of the portals of our house. Last winter there were two females roosting every night on the beam and a male would come and fetch them at dawn. Wonderful to witness the daily ritual while sipping morning coffee.

Although Mountain Bluebirds tolerate people somewhat, they are more skittish than Western Bluebirds and other birds also chase them out of our yard. The Mountain Bluebirds readily eat the freeze-dried mealworms we put out. Especially when the worms are placed in a shallow saucer of water. But again, other birds tend to scurry them away. Competition for mealworms is fierce. 

Mountain Bluebirds are cavity nesters generally, although we have heard they will nest in boxes. We noted that a pair had built a nest in one of the large rock retaining walls here in Aldea last season. The eggs did hatch as we heard the newborns, but we fear that the brood did not make it as we never saw any fledglings in our area after that initial chirping emanating from the wall. 

We are hopeful that this coming breeding season the Mountain Bluebirds we have seen this winter will stay and have a successful brood or two. Hopefully the daily fresh water and mealworms we put out will contribute to that goal.

A group of bluebirds are collectively known by the same nouns as for thrushes. A “hermitage” or a “mutation” of thrushes or bluebirds. The Mountain Bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada.

Male, female Mountain Bluebirds in Aldea. Click on photos to enlarge.

Western Bluebird

My first experience with bluebirds was here in Aldea when moving here in fall 2014. Aldea has quite a few both Western and Mountain Bluebirds. I commonly see both species when walking through all of Aldea.

The male Western Bluebird is stunning with a deep blue head, upper parts and wings with a red-brown breast. The female is much duller with gray above, dull blue wings and tail. You can see the difference in the photos below.

Freeze-dried Mealworms — Love ‘em!

I snapped the photos this week while the bluebirds were feeding on freeze-dried mealworms placed in the base of a bell-type feeder. Western Bluebirds readily consume mealworms. They are so much fun to watch. In the warmer months I put the mealworms in a small, shallow clay pot saucer with water, placing it on the ground. A kind of “soup” that both adults and fledglings devour as the mealworms soften a bit as they absorb water.

We were lucky enough to have (somehow) correctly placed a bluebird nesting box in the backyard so that a pair of Western Bluebirds claimed it shortly after we installed it on Feb. 15, 2015. It was the dead of winter, but everything I had researched stated that boxes need to be up by then as bluebirds are already pairing up and searching for nesting sites.

Two Successful Broods in Aldea Backyard 

Last year we had the great pleasure of witnessing two successful bluebird broods fledge. The male and female are tireless, dedicated parents. We think that at least four survived from each brood—eight total since we had seen them frequently return as a group to the yard. 

It was interesting that the day after the first brood fledged, the adults immediately started building a new nest in the box. We had emptied the box out once all the fledglings left, sanitized it and put it right back up—as we had researched. It is interesting to note that some of first brood of fledglings actually helped feed the second brood of fledglings using the freeze-dried meal worms from the soup! The dynamics were so interesting to watch and heart warming. 

Have Earned A Special Place

Western Bluebirds are such a beautiful bird with an inquisitive demeanor towards people. They are not as skittish around us as other birds. And they for sure are right there when I put out mealworms. Sometimes they land in the feeder when I am just a few feet away from it after replenishing. They have earned a special place in our yard and on my watch.

A group of bluebirds are collectively known by the same nouns as for thrushes. A “hermitage” or a “mutation” of thrushes or bluebirds.

Male, female Western Bluebirds in Aldea. Click on photos to enlarge.

American Robin

Growing up in Minnesota, I have such fond memories of listening to American Robins in the summer evenings right after sundown. They would sit on the telephone or power wires and emit their characteristic calls until the sky had finally turned black. It was part of midwest summer magic for me. 

Here in Aldea I have not heard quite the same calls in the summer. We have robins year-round in most of New Mexico. This winter I have observed significantly fewer American Robins in Aldea. Last winter it was not uncommon to have as many as a flock of 20 in our yard. The robins were attracted to the water but also to the freeze-dried meal worms I would offer in a shallow clay pot saucer. I actually had put out the meal worms for the bluebirds, but my cold meal worm “soup” was fair game for all I learned.

Other birders have said that the large flocks of robins have remained in higher elevations this winter where the juniper trees have more berries. I loved the sound of all the robins in the arroyos of Aldea last year and miss it. It was deafening and dramatic. Sometimes hundreds of robins were in the arroyos.

I appreciated the loud carrying-on, especially on weekend mornings alongside the flocks of House Finches all joining forces in a very loud chorus. I hope the flocks of robins return next winter.

Robins are easy to spot with their characteristic red breast. During breeding season, male American Robins grow black feathers on their heads to attract females. 

Interesting tidbit: there is a Crayola crayon named “Robin’s Egg Blue.” A group of robins are collectively known as a “worm” of robins. How appropriate is that?

American Robin in Aldea backyard. Click on photos to enlarge.

House Finch

With a year-round range that covers most of the continental US, the House Finch is a bird that we see plenty of here in Aldea everyday. Flocks of House Finches frequently gather in Aldea’s arroyos to chatter and sing. A great time to listen is on early winter weekend mornings as there is no other sound (no vehicles, no people)—just birds singing. Really enjoyable to hear and observe after a fresh snowfall.

Males have the pink-red head, throat and rump. Females lack the red plumage. Many birders here have trouble identifying House Finches versus Cassin’s Finches. This winter I have not seen any Cassin’s Finches in our part of Aldea.

House Finches are less flamboyant to me and Cassin’s Finches have an added red “mohawk” spike on top of their heads. The first time I saw that difference was my “aha” moment in terms of identification between the two similar-looking species.

No-mess seed cylinders with plenty of shelled sunflower seeds attract finches readily. They also like the small, shallow dishes of water we put out for drinking and bathing. I make sure that hygiene is a top priority with feeders and water dishes for the finches as they are prone to spread chronic infections. Fresh water everyday is the rule. Feeders and birdbaths are disinfected once a week as recommended by NM Game and Fish biologists.

Last summer the House Finches built two nests in the backyard. Both in Ponderosa Pine trees. Sadly, a Brown-headed Cowbird destroyed one nest while adding its own eggs to the nest, and the other nest fell apart in a late April or early May snow storm. I have spoken to other birders and they have said that House Finches do not always build the most sturdy nests. 

A group of House Finches are collectively known as a “development” of finches.

Views of male and female House Finches. Click on photos to enlarge.