Flickers right on schedule

First I'm going to apologize for the quality of the pictures in this post.  I am still having problems finding a photo editing program that works or at least that this computer likes....so these pictures are as they came from the camera and since they were taken through double pane glass they are't great....

but I wanted to show that the migration of Northern Flickers is right on schedule.  This is the time of year when we are most likely to see hybrids like this fellow that was at the suet yesterday.  He has the red mustache of the red shafted and the red 'v' on the nape of the neck that the yellow shafted has, also his under wing colour was a sort of orange, a cross between 'red' and 'yellow'

This is a closer look at him as he checked out the Black oil sunflower seeds before moving to the suet.  Today I've seen a normal (for us) red shafted female but I've put another suet feeder out in a more obvious location in hopes of attracting a pure yellow-shafted as well.

The suet has certainly attracted just about everyone else.  This Dark-eyed Junco was determined to get at the suet.  It took a number of tries before he ended up flying on top of the cage.  Junco's are another species now migrating through, they are everywhere!  Will be on the look out for any of the 'piebalds'.

The numbers of Red-wing Blackbirds are decreasing but there are still lots around and they enjoyed the suet as well.

Even the Spotted Towhee were trying to get in on the act.  I never actually saw one make it to the cage but they picked up any crumbs below.

of course you can't keep Steller's Jay away from suet.  Look carefully at this guy which is one of our normal pacific coast Steller's jay.....

and then look at this one.  See the white 'eye brow?' that is a marking seen on the jays that are normally further north and over to the east by the Rocky Mountains.

With spring just 2 days away (believe it or not based on the weather which has become rather cool and unsettled) one has to keep one's eyes open as you just never know what you will see!