Subject: Re: Yard birds
Date: Jan 2 20:15:11 1997
From: Mike Patterson - mpatters at orednet.org




>
>
>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.

You need a copy of the National Geographic Guide version of Birds of
North America (about $16.00 if you're a member of NGS)

>
>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?

Red-breasted Sapsucker

>
>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.

This one's trickier, but I'm guessing Varied Thrush (many locals call this
"Alaskan Robin). They breed in the Cascade and Coast Ranges and come down
in the winter.

>

--
*********************************** I was of three minds
* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * like a tree
* mpatters at orednet.org * in which there are three blackbirds.
*http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters* -Wallace Stevens