A red-headed woodpecker visited my yard for over 45 minutes yesterday afternoon. This species is very rare in NE Minnesota. Hopefully “red” has a mate near by and is thinking of drilling out a nest hole. Each summer, we have one or two nesting redheads in the region. It would be fun to have the birds select my yard (video of red for blog subscribers)
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My first sighting were near Sioux Falls SD in 1982. I worked a train that hauled rock out of a quarry north of town. As we traveled along at 10 mph the birds would fly ahead from pole to pole. My next sightings were in my backyard four years ago just east of River Falls. They have been coming back yearly since then.
Very cool … a choo choo bird!
The very first bird I remember noticing as a child was a Red-headed Woodpecker, in a lot across the street from our former family home in Woodland. The lot is still in the undeveloped state. However, the tree that my father planted in the yard with his bare hands is now about fifty feet high – it was Ike’s second term. 🙂
After returning to Duluth eight years ago, I was pleased to see an immature version in our Kenwood yard. The sightings have been far too infrequent over the years.
I hope the Woodland Neighborhood will get lucky, and your Dad’s tree!
Charlie (and everyone else) … this might make “red” your “spark bird”. Google the term!
My spark bird actually came a couple of years later, in the form of a Yellow-headed Blackbird calling in a marsh near our home in Crystal, MN. I went back many years later to look, only to find an office building built on top of a now-drained marsh …
It reminds me of a line from a “1970’s song” … They drained paradise and put up a parking lot.
He’s very quiet for a woodpecker! (At least compared to the 3 species I have in my yard).
I took the video from inside the house and the window was closed … plus I was the only person home … thus very quiet!
My absolute favorite color of RED! We have two pairs this summer between the farm and the lake. Congrats!
Oh, my!
I moved up here from the southern part of the state and really miss these beauties. Nice to see.