Yellow-shafted feather

[Dave Cameron]

Finally finished raking leaves today-- a chore always good to have in the rear-view.

 

While bagging leaves, I found many feathers, (many EC Dove feathers) a couple of which I hung onto, and consulted the bird feather guide that Connie Cogler was kind enough to send me last year. 

 

One was a flight feather from a Brown Creeper, and the other (obvious without the guide, actually) was a tail feather from a Yellow-shafted flicker.  I keep three types of woodpecker-type food available year-round, and have had many Red-shafted Flickers in the yard over time, including fledglings nearly every year.  I've never noticed a Yellow-shafted, though one male I had last year was an intergrade, with a red crescent on the nape, as well as red malars.  But all of his coloration was also red.  I'll have to be on the lookout for a new Flicker. 

 

Dave Cameron

Harvey Park

Denver