What strikes me as unusual about this "long-billed" Flicker is that the curve of the bill looks so natural and intended.? The crows and hawks we've seen seem to have deformed, crooked bills.? Great shots, Kevin.? Thanks!
?
-Rolan

Rolan Nelson
Fircrest, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com

--- On Thu, 6/4/09, Kevin Mack <kevin_mack at comcast.net> wrote:


From: Kevin Mack <kevin_mack at comcast.net>
Subject: [Tweeters]: Northern Flicker with an overgrown bill
To: "tweeters at u.washington.edu" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009, 9:12 PM


Hi all,

Yesterday morning before work, I encountered a Northern Flicker with a badly overgrown bill in Lynnwood. ?He was on the ground in the gravel lot that I park in at work, and he was using his giant beak to dig at the dirt, presumably around an ant hill. ?I?ve seen crows, hawks and gulls with what appeared to be ?long-billed syndrome?, but this is the first flicker with the problem that I have noticed. ?I posted three photos on my website if you?d like to see the bird. ?Go to www.goatislandimages.com and choose ?New Photos? under the photo button on the navigation bar. ?There are also three photos of a psedoscorpion that my wife found on one of our deck chairs yesterday for those of you that are arachnophillic :o).

Kevin Mack
Edmonds, WA
www.goatislandimages.com
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