Ranger Steve's Blog

A new season underway

It was quite a surprise a few weeks ago when avid KestrelCam watcher Pat emailed us "There's something in the box!".  At first glance, it appeared to all of us to be (and here I quote my good friend Bonnie), "that is one BIG m*** f *** kestrel!".  Our first quick identification was based on the barred and rust-colored back, which closely resemble a kestrel's.  (Brings up an interesting question...why are both kestrels and flickers barred on top?  Is the flicker imitating the kestrel for protection from predators while on the ground?  Or is one or the other a form of camouflage or cryptic coloration?).

Anyway, we very quickly identified it as a Northern Flicker, a very pretty species of woodpecker that normally digs in the ground for bugs, eats ants, etc., but also is a cavity nesting species.  In the last few days, we believe we've confirmed that it is a female, due to the lack of malar stripes, the "moustache" marks along the side of the face (red or black).

It looks like she's just using this as a roost cavity, and our contacts at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology seem to feel that way, also, but perhaps she'll stay for the breeding season (which starts many months from now).  At the very least, she's pretty to watch, and indicates that birds in the area know about and are comfortable using the nestbox in its new location closer to the house.  If she leaves, we may get another species we've seen lately on several occasions...Western Bluebirds.