tweeties:

OK, if enough of you tell me my white-rumped birds were flickers, you'll
convince me I was confused about their size. As soon as I denied that they
were flickers in my previous post, I started having a deja vu about seeing
the same white-rumped birds last year, wondering what they were, and being
surprised once I got them in the binocs to discover that they were
flickers. In any case I was confused because the first white-rumped mystery
bird I saw did indeed seem to have the right size and behavior for a
flicker, but subsequently as several small birds flushed, including some on
which I could see white rumps, I convinced myself that the white-rumped
birds were small (sparrow-sized).
I also usually see flickers singly or in pairs, not in bunches, but I
remember one day last spring when there was one in every tree in the
neighborhood, all singing to outdo the others. I guess it rained on their
party this year.
Thanks for your insightful comments on my inadequate descriptions of these
birds.

Paul Talbert