ML130568241

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Continuing, thank you to all who posted about it! Lifer!! Easily found in the group of trees others are reporting it in (where my marker is placed, too). Look in the deciduous trees near a dip in the trail, by a large circular concrete thing on the ground between the trail and the houses. It flies back and forth in that stand of trees, creating/feeding on/defending its sap wells. One of the most beautiful and handsome birds I've ever seen... Brilliant red throat and forehead, stately black bib, crisp black and white stripes on face, soft red smudges on nape (my favorite part, it was beautiful to look at!), two rows of barring on the back. It makes incredible square sap wells, unlike anything I've seen before (I'm used to the Red-breasted's perfect little circular holes). It's also extremely territorial towards all birds who approach its sap squares, actively chasing away many relentless hummingbirds and one opportunistic RCKI. However, it didn't even cast a glance at the many barking dogs or curious humans that passed by. What an amazing bird... I couldn't get enough of its antics, and watching it as it made its squares. Sometimes it would carefully run the side of its beak up and down a branch, not as though wiping it, but as though it was sensing where to peck next, for it would then start working on a square in that spot. Truly remarkable!!

Technical information

Model

NIKON D300S

ISO

1000

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/320 sec

Dimensions

1347 pixels x 1770 pixels

Original file size

900.24 KB