...and I have no idea what it is. I've never noticed this variety before. Thorny, maybe you can help me out. (I haven't had a chance to pick up a bird book yet, but it's much funner to come here and ask anyway. )

This one's about 1-1/2 times the size of a Robin and was picking away at the ground with the Robins and Sparrows today. I think they're cleaning up the mess \'Merle The Squirrel\' has left behind, as well as some big fat worms. That silly squirrel just bobs and weaves through the trees and on the ground between them. I just love how they all get along.

Anyway, my new visitor has a definite black upside-down triangle surrounded by white on its throat/chest area and a white underbelly. The back is brownish and the tail is even darker, but it has a patch of white across it's lower back (so my husband just told me... I didn't notice that). The beak was kind of long and pointy and although this bird was a little in the distance, I think I saw a bit of a tinge of red or orange on its head.

I had an unbelievable day of birds all around my deck and yard today. I don't know if it's always been like this, or I'm finally just noticing, but whatever it is, I really love it! I had the Woodpeckers knocking on the wall outside my window earlier, Sparrows cleaning up all the seeds the Bluejays knocked off the feeder, Robins, Nuthatches, Chickadees, and now this new mystery bird. It was just lovely! Makes me want to put some effort into making an environment they always want to come back to.

Well, if anybody could enlighten me, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot,
~SuzyQ~

Sounds like you have either a Yellow-shafted Flicker or else a Red-shafted Flicker and probably a female. Check Google Image Search under those two birds and see if that is what you saw.

You're right again, Thorny. Thank You!

It's funny, I never realized all these years that when I have these summer visitors, you (and others) lose them for awhile. So do you get them all back over the winter then? Is that your time for bird watching?

I've never put food out during the cold months for our birds who stay, but I plan to this year. I haven't seen the Chickadees either then, but I hope to this time. I'm sure they stay close by. Maybe I'll get a nice picture to post of them around my snow covered pine trees. SNOW! Now THERE'S a four-letter word!

~SuzyQ~

We have the Yellow-shafted Flickers here all year. I have Carolina Chickadees singing outside my window right now. You will have the Black-capped Chickadees where you live. We DO get snow here and that's when I get my BEST bird pictures. I stayed outside all day on my sled when it snowed, when I was a kid. Now, as a grandfather, I stay outside all day when it snows with my digital camera.

Carolina Chickadee