Migration Anticipation

      The 2012 fall migration has begun.  In 2011, our winter guests began to arrive in early October.  First to show up were Gray Catbirds, followed closely by Palm Warblers and Yellow-Rumped Warblers.  We also had an Eastern Phoebe singing in the yard.  Others species showed up later in the fall and early winter.  We're eager to welcome all of them back any day now.

     In addition to the usual birds, today's surprise visitor was a Downy Woodpecker.  He's a year round resident and though he's often heard, he's seldom seen.  As new "birders", the Downy was our first "tricky" identification challenge.  We bought several field guides to help us make a positive I.D.  The Downy looks very similar to the Hairy Woodpecker.  However, the Downy is several inches smaller and has a shorter bill.  The Hairy Woodpecker is a year round resident as well, but we've never seen one.  We look forward to adding the Hairy to our life list.  Enjoy the photos and keep on birding.....tweet....tweet!!

Downy Woodpecker (Male)
(Taken 9/9/12, Our Backyard)

Downy Woodpecker (Male)
(Taken 3/23/12, The Rookery, Venice FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id