It has been a long time between posts for me. My apologies, I plan to pick up the pace! I have been out in Phoenix, AZ on a business trip this week. It has been a very good trip, both personally and professionally. I have been able to do some sightseeing with the other guys on the trip late in the afternoons. We went up to South Mountain State Park yesterday afternoon to see the sun set. As soon as we got out the car, I saw several woodpeckers flying back and forth around the parking area. I knew this was going to be a good day for birding! The woodpeckers I'm accustomed too aren't in Arizona!
It was a Gila Woodpecker. They are very similar to the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers we have in Arkansas. They don't have the red stomach but have the zebra type pattern on their upperparts.
The red identification the male has on his head doesn't cover all of their head, only just a small patch on the very top. The female lacks the red marking. They also seem to be somewhat darker and more golden compared to the Red-Bellied.
There were many Gila Woodpeckers located at the top of the mountain. They were acclimated somewhat to the people there and weren't too scared. I was able to get fairly close them and get these shots.
God Bless!
Posts
1 comment:
How nice you were able to do some birding in Arizona! We love our Midwestern woodpeckers, but the southwest species are so cool too!
Post a Comment