Greetings All:
Thanks to my game with Rich Kostecke (and the desperate need to get on top
of an early spring) I have been spending a fair amount of time in my
Lubbock yard.
Yesterday I had a Vesper Sparrow (not unusual in the area but less than
annual in my urban yard) and lured in a male Black-chinned Hummingbird
(still a tad early) by upping my hummingbird feeder count to five.
I spent eight hours working in the yard today, was revisited by the
hummingbird, had a Merlin perch atop the power pole closest to me feeders
(causing quite the Eurasian Collared Dove and White-winged Dove panic) and,
miracle of miracles, a Golden-fronted Woodpecker flew into my neighbor's
yard, then to a power pole in the alley, and then to my largest pecan.
The species is not unknown from far eastern Lubbock County but in the
entire time (well over ten years) I have lived in my neighborhood I have
only heard one in my neighborhood once and this is the first one I have
seen.
Pyrrhuloxia, schmyrrhuloxia, Rich, I raise you one oddball woodpecker:)
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock