This morning at 7:30 I noticed two female Red-shafted Flickers on our
power pole.They seem to be dancing together.Bobbing heads, spreading
tails, making lots of noise.This activity is something we see quite a
lot but this morning it seemed to go on longer than usual.OK ladies, I
get your request, I said to myself as I grabbed my long-lens camera.Got
to record this show.So, I got a few shots and thought ‘Yeah, this should
do’.Got my cup of coffee and settled back into my ‘observation’
chair.HEY, they’re STILL at it.Time was 7:45.Another few shots.
THEN, THIS happened.We usually don’t have Starlings but over the past
snow fall we have gained three of the invaders.Just three (I sure hope
no more find us).So, three Starling fly into a bar --Wait just a
dogbonned minute.Not THAT story!
New observation.One Starling flies up to the top of the pole where the
‘Ladies’ are still going at it, bobbing, swaying, never touching beaks,
but almost.Time is now almost 8AM!The Starling tries to jump up to the
top of the pole and join in the ‘fray’.BAM!!One of the Flickers stabs
the Starling with its beak!I mean darn near strikes it to the ground.I
was so taken aback I forgot I had my camera right there in my hands.It
tried again to cut in to the ‘dance’ and again, SMACK!Rebuffed.Now, my
camera is capable of shooting TEN shots per second and I MISSED the
actual contact.
“This is OUR fight! No cuts.”
Has anyone else seen this kind of inter-species interaction?
Kevin Smith
Crooked River Ranch, Oregon
