Northern Flickers

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Northern Flickers are the other common woodpecker in our area.  We also have Pileated Woodpeckers and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, but we don't see them very often at all!

Flickers are quite widespread, and versatile in their choice of habitat, farm yards, towns, cities and woods all pass muster. 

In our yard, the Flickers come to the virginia creeper, just like the thrushes.  What a versatile plant!

I get such a kick out of this photo...  Tweedledee and Tweedledum? 

For a while, we had a post leaning against our fence.  Talk about a Flicker magnet!

Check out those cool, spiny woodpecker-style tail feathers!

There are two color phases of Northern Flicker - Yellow-Shafted and Red-Shafted.  We have the former here.  The male above illustrates the id points well - black "moustache" mark and red head crescent.

No moustache mark on the females!  Too bad I didn't think to do anything about that branch in the foreground!

I think this is the same bird.  Females DO have the red crescent!

We didn't get any Flickers on our creeper this year, much to my disappointment.  Maybe next year!
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Red Tailed... Squirrel??

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Well, this is a new one for me.  We have a LOT of Gray Squirrels around here.  Once had one with white patches.  Whether it was pinto-spotted or white from injuries, I don't know. 

But this clairol-touched fella isn't like anything I've seen before!!

Sorry about the cut-off nose, but I include this picture to show the extent of the red coloration.

I found some google references to melanistic (black) Grey Squirrels having red tails, but couldn't find any pictures, nor any reference to a normal grey-phase having a red tail.


Anyone?
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