The best photo from yesterday’s birding trip to Keizer Rapids City Park is this male Downy Woodpecker. The red “skull cap” is the clue
that this is a male of this smallest of woodpeckers. The trip was a Field Trip
put on by the Salem Audubon Society. It
was my first trip with the SAS, and as I think back it’s possibly the first
trip ever with someone else leading, a different experience and well worthwhile.
This trip was led by Mike Unger who lives in Keizer and knows the park and
trails very well. His preparation and patience
is a model for any trip leader. We were able to identify thirty to forty
different species depending on the sharpness of the observer. The group totaled
a dozen people, some with great skills in identifying a bird purely by sound, which
has challenged me to spend more time in learning more calls and songs.
A very 'striking' bird!
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