I know I am very late in this discussion, but I thought I would put one
more nail in its coffin.

My grandfather moved from Kentucky to Wenatchee in 1908 at the age
of approximately 30.

When, in the 50's, I talked with him about birds, he would invariably bring
up the Yellowhammer, but we would usually find only Red-shafted Flickers
when we wanderd in the orchards or up in the hills. We was a bit peeved
that his beloved Yellowhammers were so few in Eastern Washington, but we
did find a couple Yellow-shafted Flickers in those years, which brought him
great relief.

There's no question in my mind that "old" people referring to
Yellowhammers are talking about flickers.

I won't tell you what he called Mourning Doves. <G> But every buteo that
ever flew over Wenatchee was a "Chicken Hawk" -- and so were the
Accipiters!

He didn't have chickens when I knew him, but he raised them earlier in
life, and he had a 10 (ten!) gauge shotgun. I can only imagine the number
of chickens he rescued from "Chicken Hawks."

Jerry Blinn


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