This morning I awoke to a see a largish bird thrashing at the suet feeder outside my
bedroom window - a Northern Flicker with the perfect head plumage of a female
Yellow-shafted. Slowly stalking around to get a different view without spooking it, I finally
got a good, well-lit view of the undertail feathers - neither yellow nor red but a "pumpkin
gold" color, in the Birds of North America terminology of the hybrid description.

This was the 4th time I've seen the bird since December 25th, but the first time I had
unequivocal, well lit views of the undertail plumage.

_____________
Doug Canning
Olympia Wash.