The Woodpecker that Doesn't (peck wood)

How about a woodpecker that doesn't really like to peck wood? And instead of drilling into tree trunks looking for grubs it prefers to feed on flying insects?  Well, we have such a bird in our Northeast Washington neighborhood.

During the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806 the Corps of Discovery encountered and cataloged hundreds of animal and plant species never before seen by European naturalists. Native Americans had already seen, named, and understood these species for centuries. The leader of of the expedition, Meriwether Lewis, had received training in natural history prior to departure. He documented each new species they encountered and many specimens were brought back with them on their return. Naturalists began cataloging and giving their own names to these "new" species.

One of the new species was a bird of the northern Rockies that was obviously a woodpecker. It was named the Lewis's Woodpecker. It is easily identified by its dark, oily green back, rosy pink belly and gray collar.

Lewis's Woodpecker on Bisbee Mtn., May 25, 2019

Lewis's woodpecker is a little different in that it generally does not excavate it's own cavity in trees. It prefers, instead, to use holes already excavated by other woodpeckers, or natural cavities in older, decaying trees. The Lewis's woodpecker will use its substantial beak to tidy up and fine tune the cavity to its liking.

Another unusual behavior for a woodpecker is its preference for catching flying insects instead of finding grubs under bark and in decaying wood. It can be observed flying out from a perch, perform aerial acrobatics to catch flying insect prey, and returning to its perch. This is very much like the various Flycatchers and Bluebirds we can see in our area.

A third distinctive is the way it often perches. In the photo above you can see the Lewis's Woodpecker perched perpendicular to the tree branch - not clinging vertically to a tree trunk. Lewis's woodpeckers can and do climb tree trunks vertically like other woodpeckers. But unlike its cousins, it can generally be seen perched on top of a branch, snag or utility pole.

Flying Lewis's Woodpecker. Photo courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Keep an eye out for Lewis's Woodpeckers in  open pine forests and also in aspen and cottonwoods near streams.

Good Birding,

      - Hawkeye

Bobolinks...Yeah, They're a Real thing

Bobolink. Yes, there is such bird and it lives and breeds in the broad valley floors of the Colville and Pend Oreille Rivers. The Bobolink winters far away in South America and returns to North America to breed. The round trip can be as long as 12,500 miles!! One of the longest migrations of any song bird on the planet. During its lifespan it will have flown far enough to circle the globe 4-5 times.
                       

 Male Bobolink. Photo courtesy the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Bobolink is a member of the Icteridae family which includes all of the blackbirds, orioles and meadowlarks. They specialize eating weed seeds, insect larvae, adult insects, spiders and other arachnids.

In Northeast Washington they can be found in the valley floors of the Colville River and Pend Oreille River. It seems to favor large fields of grass, including natural areas, hay fields, and pastures. They prefer to place their nest on moist ground at the base of large non-woody plants (think of the wet meadows in our river valleys). I myself have seem them north of Deep Lake in the Leadpoint area and south of Chewelah along Newton Lane.

Bobolink  sightings as reported in eBird,. Courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.


Bobolink songs and calls are very unique and probably the best way to locate this grassland bird. Officially described as a "metallic, bubbly, rambling song with a mixture of sharp, high notes and buzzy low pitches," I think of a Yellow-headed Blackbird that has swallowed a Song Sparrow.

Many birds have songs and calls that are almost other worldly. Locally we have some real masters of  the bizarre sound. You may have thought you heard running, bubbling water, only to find out it was a a raucous flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds calling.

Photo Courtesy of the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Listen to their Flock Calls here:
Brown-headed Cowbirds sounds

Many years ago while working in the woods on the backside of Dominion Mt. I  found myself temporarily disoriented (not lost, mind you) in dense timber and thick fog. That's when the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. A sound from the Twilight Zone surrounded me and seemed to follow me. The effect was a cross between a pebble being drooped into a deep well and an alien spacecraft that seemed to hover over head, out of sight, but clearly with its eyes on me. At a loss for a rational explanation I resigned myself to whatever fate awaited me. That's when a Common Raven appeared between the tree tops, repeating the it's 'Never More" call to my embarrassed enlightenment.

Photo Courtesy the Macauley Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Beside there familiar croak and caw, listen to some of the other sounds a Common raven might make. It is not even close to a complete list. I personally believe they make it up as they go. Scary-smart birds.

Common Raven Calls


So keep you ears open. You might just have the hair on the back of your neck rise in surprised amazement. Let us know if you find a Bobolink this summer.


Good Birding,

       - Hawkeye

Is it a sparrow, or a finch, or...?

One of the most strikingly beautiful passerines (the perching birds) in Northeast Washington is the Lazuli Bunting. Named after the beautiful gemstone lapis lazuli, the bright blue songbird graces our shrub patches each spring and summer. Pronounced "LAZZ-you-lee", this bird appears to be part sparrow, part finch, part cardinal. Ornithologists have categorized it in various ways over the years. The American Ornithological Society currently has it in the Cardinalidae (Cardinal) family, along with our local  Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak.

The Lazuli Bunting has a beak suited for feeding on insects, caterpillars, and spiders, as well as the berries and seeds of serviceberry and chokecherry - which we have plenty of!

          Male Lazuli Bunting. Photo courtesy the Macaulay Library of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Listen to the Lazuli Bunting's song by following this link; Lazuli Bunting singing



Lapis Lazuli, uncut and un-polished


Look for this gem of a bird on brushy hillsides near water (especially streams). The males can often be seen perched on the top most branches and apparently like showing off their colors. The bulk of our Lazuli Buntings winter on the pacific coast of Mexico. Their annual migration brings them across the desert Southwest of the U.S.and the mountainous sagebrush of the Great Basin.



Keep a sharp eye and ear out for this amazingly beautiful bird. It will lift your day!

Good Birding,

      - Hawkeye