Subject: Interesting Flicker behavior
Date: Oct 3 08:26:21 2000
From: Kelly Cassidy - lostriver at completebbs.com


Yesterday, the same day you saw the flickers displaying, I heard a commotion
and went out to find a couple of Downy Woodpeckers engaged in an aggressive
or courtship display. Here in Pullman, I wouldn't expect them to be
settling down to next this time of year. Squabbling over winter
territories? Youngsters getting old enough to stake out a plot?

Kelly Cassidy
Pullman WA
lostriver at completebbs.com

>I look out my window this moment to see no less than 5, possibly 6 Red
>Shafted(?) Flickers, bouncing around my horse chesnut & neighboring pine.
>They are engaging in some sort of display - head bobbing, a regular piping
>accompanying the bobs, and fanned displays of their tail feathers. Without
>knowing any better, I'd say it was a courtship display. As I recall, they
>do winter over here. Do they nest in fall as well?
>
>Rgds,
>
>Jeff Allen
>
>