WINGSCAPES

House-hunting Flickers

Regardless of what the U.S. real estate market might be doing at the moment for people, homes for the nation’s birds are in prime demand right now. Millions upon millions have recently moved into or built new residences and begun families, or are still actively “in the market” for the place they will call home this season.

Take these Northern Flickers recently recorded using the Wingscapes BirdCam by Connie in Loveland, Colorado for example. Connie writes to us that when the image was recorded, the pair was trying out three different nest boxes near her home. Thanks Connie!

Intergrade Flickers from Colorado

Connie from Loveland, Colorado, has been gracing the Team Wingscapes e-mail box with some great images she has been recording of the birds visiting her backyard feeders.

"I have many Northern Flickers and the [BirdCam] is helping me discover just how may are intergrades. Here are a couple of shots of one male intergrade that visits regularly." (An intergrade flicker is a cross between a Red-shafted Northern Flicker and a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker.)

Connie also writes a great blog named Birds O' the Morning where she posts many of her Wingscapes BirdCam photos. Thanks Connie!

Ice Cold and Going Strong

A commonly asked question of the Wingscapes team when we display and demonstrate the Wingscapes BirdCam is “How does it do in the cold weather?” In answer to this question, we can now offer not only our verbal assurances but photographic ones as well.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve been locked in the deep freeze for well over a week. The BirdCams in our yard, just like everything else, have been buried in snow and ice. Despite this, they’ve continued to produce great pictures, like this one of a Northern Flicker, throughout the storm.

Full Frame Flicker

A question that is often asked about the Wingscapes BirdCam is “How close can you position the BirdCam to a feeder and still get a clear image?” The answer is 18 inches. At this close distance, images of some birds visiting the feeder will almost fill the entire frame.

I had the BirdCam set at just a shade over 18 inches from our suet feeder in Scappoose when this Northern Flicker stopped by just the other day. Not an exceptionally large bird, the flicker covers well over two thirds of the width of the picture.

Up Front Flicker

One of the benefits of the Wingscapes BirdCam is its portability. Get tired of recording images at one feeder? Simply move it to another – or reposition it to an entirely different portion of your yard. You’ll really be surprised at the difference a mere few yards of movement can make, especially if you shift it from a shrubby corner to a more open space.

I recently moved my BirdCam from a shrub-shaded ground position out back to a suet feeder in the front yard locust tree. Voila! Instant Northern Flicker. (Don’t mind the Dark-eyed Junco – they’re everywhere right now.)

BirdCam Pictures from Oregon

Deb from Gresham, Oregon sent in these great shots of young European Starlings begging to be fed by a a parent as well as a Northern Flicker feeding on an upper suet block in order to use the lower part of the feeder as a tail prop.

Thanks Deb!

First Bird of 2008 in Scappoose, Oregon

...from our series "Catching up the Items to Blog Backlog"...

John, from Scappoose, Oregon also known as the Born again Bird Watcher writes a blog regarding the "First Bird" he sees in 2008

Great Shot! Thanks John.

John Writes:

As I walked into the kitchen this morning, I had a feeling that the first bird of the year was already awaiting me just beyond the blind-covered window. As I raised the shades, I discovered I was indeed correct - an adult male Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus, red-shafted form) was perched on the feeder enjoying a breakfast of suet...