1 December 2008
We have had a couple days of rain here along the little Conewago Creek. And the water is rising.
Gulliver and I were up early and tiptoed out of the cabin and over to the studio for our morning ritual walk to secure the perimeter… when I spotted a streak of yellow in the muddy leaves. Then another, and closer to the fireplace…several more. We followed the trail and came up with 15 or 16 feathers…and it looks like a near miss because these were the only parts to be found.
It was about this same time last year when I first received a gift of feathers from this same bird.
Then, there were two or three and they were beautifully layed out a thin crust of new snow. I didn’t recognize any winter birds with that much brilliant color so I gave one to Zola so we could both investigate which bird had offered them up.
The longest in this batch is 5 1/2 inches and the smallest is a very mish 1 1/2 inches. ( If your monitors are unreliable, the yellow is a true canary yellow and the black is raven.)
And now, it would seem, another … rather stronger… message. This bird is seriously trying to get my attention. So, I am throwing it out there to you all. I eagerly await hearing from you experts…Who is she ?
Meanwhile…back on the easel…I am struggling through the beginnings of a large portrait of the camp on the bluff and am relying on the continuing saga of Russell and Holmes to take my critical self away and free up my right brain to do its thing. We have finished our romp on the Moors and have now opened the door to a stranger…or is he ?
Ah… the mysteries.
HN
this is from my ailing friend Nori…
“H; I’m flat in bed with a badly pulled back…folding laundry of all things…but as an avid bird watcher I’m fascinated by your feathers. Did some online searching but could not find anything. All my books, however, are downstairs, and I’m not even trying that today. Likely a crow or raven, but can’t confirm that lovely yellow rachis (learned a new work today). Will keep thinking abou it and let you know. I’ll keep checking your site to see if anyone else gets it! Hope all is well. N.”
I’m wondering if it could be a yellow shafted flicker ?
We do have at least one pair of flickers in the yard and at the feeders. ???
found this web site…close but not exact…maybe a juvenile ?
http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/nflicker.htm
My friend Lin has come through…
Heather
Here is your answer —and best of all you are the one to give the answer, others just confirmed it! 🙂
Enjoy your days of painting…..
yes – Here in PA, that is the only bird I can think of that would have that bright yellow shaft. peregrine Falcons can kill a flicker in flight. I have seen flicker feathers floating down from the peregrine perch here on our building in Harrisburg.
count me among those who think your flicker is toast. Yea, peregrines can take anything out of the air, but I’ve seen redtails do it here too…we find feathers in the yard all the time, but never other parts. A great horned owl won’t even leave the feathers. Your neighborhood would be a great place for an owl. Hoo hoo hoo hoo.