Subject: Yard birds
Date: Jan 2 19:40:46 1997
From: rtylor - rtylor at telcomplus.com


Hello Tweeters!
After a week of lurking and enjoying the daily postings, I've decided
back-yard birding may not be enough...what a fascinating hobby you all have.

I have several feeders around my back yard, and being snowed under since
December 19th has given me quite an opportunity to observe the little guys,
and prompted a number of questions in my mind.

First, can someone please recommend a good field guide to identification? I
have the "Golden" guide to birds of N. America; there must be something
better, that's affordable. I'd appreciate your suggestions.

I had a woodpecker that I can't find in the book at the suet. It was a
couple of inches larger than a Downy (who are common here) with very similar
coloring and markings on its wings and back. But its whole head and face
were bright red (no crest.) I think its beak was dark. Sorry, that's the
best description I can come up with. Any ideas?

I had another visitor that I can only describe as looking like a Baltimore
Oriole. Is that possible in this area? As I recall (this was during the
snow last winter) it had a full black head, small amounts of white on its
black wings, and an orange back and breast. I believe it had some orange on
its tail, too. It was not a Rufous-sided Towhee, who are also very common
here, but was about the same size, perhaps a bit smaller.

FYI, visitors to my yard during the winter are (many) black-capped
Chicadees, Oregon Junco, Rufous-sided Towhees, Varied Thrushes, Stellars
Jays, Downy woodpeckers, flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finches,
sparrows I haven't ID'd, the occasional Goldfinch (?)and, of course,
starlings and crows. There are many others I'd like to ID. For the past
three years, during the worst part of the winter, I've also had a Pileated
Woodpecker for a brief moment or two. He hasn't showed up yet this year - I
hope that's not a weather forecast!

Sorry about the length of this, I promise to keep further postings shorter.
I am looking forward to some knowledgeable Tweeter answering my questions.
Thanks, and a happy 1997 to you all.

Ronaye Tylor
Blaine, WA (Upper northwest, right on the Canadian border)
rtylor at telcomplus.com