This morning dawned like March 29th, 58 degrees and a strong, gusty wind.
It's nice to dispense with the long underwear for outside work, at least
for a day.
After chores we took our usual hike around the fields and forest. Overhead
crows checking out the recently harvested cornfield across the road were
almost flying backwards in the gusts. In the forested ravines the birds
were hugging the ground, coping with the wind. A small group of six or so
golden-crowned kinglets flitted around us quite low for once, affording
decent views, even without my binoculars, which I forgot this morning.
My naked eye caught the sight of a woodpecker, larger than a downy but not
quite looking right for a hairy. Then I recognized the bold facial pattern.
A sapsucker! We see them around here, but only occasionally. I consider
them the elusive "seventh" woodpecker of our "yard," 57 acres of upland
fields and forested ravines.
Downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers are downright common, coming to
our suet often. We hear and see pileated woodpeckers in the deeper forest
regularly, and flickers are often anting in the fields. Red-headed
woodpeckers make appearances half a dozen times each year. Sapsuckers only
once or twice, so it is always noteworthy.
The juncos have been around for a month, but they have yet to start
frequenting the ground under our feeders; even during the recent snow and
freeze. There must be enough seeds in the grass of the fields and the leaf
litter of the forest to sustain them.
Bob Evans
Geologist, etc.
Hopewell Township, Muskingum County
PS: Some readers may be interested in an article appearing yesterday in the
Columbus Dispatch, featuring adjunct scientific work (largely biological) I
spearheaded this past summer in association with the recovery of treasure
from the deep-sea shipwreck of the S.S. Central America.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/11/23/scientific-gold.html
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