I stayed for a couple of nights in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert last month. I woke up the first morning wondering which of my numerous plans I wanted to implement first. I opened the blinds — and there was a bird sitting on a hummingbird feeder right in front of the window. It flew away but then came back. I thought it looked a bit like a flicker, only smaller. In fact, it looked just like the bird below.
I was hoping to visit the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, an area with numerous ponds attractive to all sorts of birds. I decided the flicker-like bird on the hummingbird feeder was nudging me in that direction, so off I went. I walked all over the preserve and, while I saw many other photographers roaming around, I didn’t see a single bird I wanted to photograph. I decided my intuition had been off that morning.
At least, that’s what I thought until the very end of my walk, when I was heading back to the car. I came across several sahuaros, where I saw exactly the same kind of bird I’d seen at the feeder that morning. Actually, I saw two of them: the bird with the red head above (a male) and the bird below, who might or might not have a red head. It’s hard to tell.
I took photo after photo. I guess both of them felt fairly safe because they hung around for quite a while. I even got to watch the guy below industriously peck at the sahuaro (doing his job). Turns out they weren’t flickers but Gila woodpeckers. I don’t believe I’d ever seen one before that day.
Look at that round little tummy above. And check out those sharp talons below.
Both woodpeckers took off after a while and an extremely talkative bird took their place. It seemed a bit like the avian version of the crazy old man who stands on the street corner telling the rest of us sinners about the fiery ends we can expect to meet.
“Repent! Change your ways!” But I was too mesmerized by its shiny, iridescent feathers to focus on repentance.
All I really know about starlings is that they form into huge flocks to create beautiful murmurations. So I wondered where the rest of this starling’s flock was. Was it too talkative, too far out on a limb (so to speak) for the rest of the starlings? I don’t know what the answer is — but I do know I enjoyed listening to (and watching) its various exhortations.
Wow, great pics!