my Snow White moment

This morning, I happened to spy a bird out on my driveway, aggressively pecking at the thick weeds growing between the cracks in the sections of concrete. It was rather large - larger than the curious Robins nearby - and had a bright red marking on the back of its neck. I watched it pull a couple of bugs from the weeds and gobble them up, then fly away. I flew too, to my laptop to find out what kind of bird that was! (My Audobon book dissapeared some time ago, most likely bumped off the balcony by one of the kids.)


It was a Northern Flicker. I listened to its song, and knew it right away.


















As I watched the Flicker, a large bug-like creature flew up to the brightly colored stain glass window hanging just above my view of the Flicker. It hovered for a second, then zoomed away. It was a green humming bird, a ruby-throated, I believe. How neat was that - to see two unusual birds up close within ten minutes? I felt like Snow White.