Jack: My two cents worth on your Downy. Most people think Downy Woodpeckers are permanent residents and that is what most books say. However, there is a little bit of movement (migration?) at least in the East. You can see this at the Fall bird banding stations, and it might occur in the same years as when nuthatches migrate. I think this movement is probably no more than a few hundred miles. To get a bird from the west coast would seem highly unlikely, to me. Here is a more likely explanation. I have seen very dark birds, which I believe is the result of a wet/damp roosting cavity. It is convenient to think that all roosting cavities are very clean and dry, but if the wood is very rotten (or wet) it can be dark, which could then rub off on the inhabitant. David Bridge Alexandria, VA -----Original Message----- >From: Jack Esworthy IV <chesterfield.birds.va@xxxxxxxxx> >Sent: Jan 5, 2013 10:58 PM >To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Subject: [Va-bird] Pacific Downy Woodpecker? > >A very dark downy woodpecker has been visiting my backyard feeder in >chesterfield county the last couple of weeks. Pictures can be found >through the links below. Any ideas/conclusions made on this bird would be >much appreciated! > >http://www.flickr.com/photos/89686001@N06/8351376831/ > > >Thanks!! > >Jack Esworthy >_______________________________________________ >va-bird mailing list >http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > >Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of >Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. >http://www.virginiabirds.net/ You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.