I saw one or two northern flappers at Santa Fe Dam on February 17, 2023. They reminded me of the notes I wrote in November 2020. I reorganized them here.
As an amateur bird-watcher, every time I see a bird that I have never seen before (or maybe because I don’t recognize it so I look at it but not really see it) and it makes me feel excited as though I discover a new world. 2020.11.12 I saw a bird with the color of a dove. But after a closer look, its belly had little dots and its posture on the branch was a bit upright. I decided to approach closer and took photos. I learned later it is a Northern Flicker, one kind of woodpecker. I saw two similar birds that day. After seeing the photos, I guessed they were feeding the babies.
我在2023年2月17日在聖達菲大壩(Santa Fe Dam)看到ㄧ、兩隻北撲翅鴷，讓我想起在2020年11月寫的筆記，在此重新整理出來。
對一個觀鳥的門外漢來說，我每當看到一種 以前從未看過的鳥（也可能是因為不認得，所以有看沒有見）就好像發現新大陸似的興奮。2020.11.12 那天看到一隻像鴿子顏色的鳥，但再仔細看看，牠的肚腹有點點，而且牠在樹枝上的姿勢有些直立，我決定輕手輕腳的走近一些，照了照片，回來才知道這是北撲翅鴷，啄木鳥的一種。當天看到兩隻類似的鳥，看了照片後，我猜牠們在餵食給雛鳥。
I came to the park again two days later. I really hoped I could see a Northern Flicker again but I was disappointed and saw nothing when I first walked to the spot. Before I came to the park, I saw a couple of news and messages sent to me that stirred my soul again. With the disappointment of not seeing a Northern Flicker, I walked to other sections of the park and started praying and tried to find answers. After a short walk I still feel confused about many things. I circled back to the spot I saw the Northern Flicker two days ago, I was so happy to see it again. God reminded me a long long time ago that it took me quite a while to seek God and eventually I found Him. He gave me these verses: Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “
兩天之後再次來到公園，很想看到北撲翅鴷，但是起初很失望，什麼都沒找著，只好繞到公園的別處去走走。其實在我來到公園前，看到一兩則人家送我的新聞及訊息，又讓我心靈震動，這時正好可以一邊走路一邊專心禱告來尋找答案，走了一小段路，心裏似乎還是一片迷茫，混亂無比。當我繞公園一大圈又來到兩天前看到北撲翅鴷的地方，好高興看到一隻北撲翅鴷。神讓我想起很久很久以前，我也是花了很長的時間尋找才尋到神。祂題醒我這段經文：馬太福音 7:7-8 “你們祈求，就給你們；尋找，就尋見；叩門，就給你們開門。因為凡祈求的，就得著；尋找的，就尋見；叩門的，就給他開門。”
God once again reminded me “seek and you will find” two days later (2020.11.16) . The purpose of seeking God’s will and listening to God’s voice is not only to find God or an answer, but the process, experience, learning, growth of spiritual life, removal of prejudices, waiting quietly and patiently are all precious experiences.
兩天之後 (2020.11.16) 神再次題醒我”尋找，就尋見” 。尋求神的旨意、聆聽神的聲音，目的不僅是尋到神或答案，而其中的過程、經歷、學習、靈命成長、去除成見，靜心等候，磨練耐心等，都是很寶貴的經驗。
It’s been a while since I saw the Northern Flickers. I was lucky today (2020.12.09), I saw three of them.
好一陣子沒看到北撲翅鴷了，今天（2020.12.09）很幸運，居然看到3隻。
I haven’t seen Northern Flicker for several weeks. When I saw it, I seized the opportunity to follow it, from the top of the hill down to the edge of the water.
我已經好幾個星期沒見到北撲翅鴷了。 當我看到它，就趕緊抓住機會跟著它，從坡上跟到坡下的水邊。
Notes 筆記
- Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer (not to be confused with the Eurasian yellowhammer), clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird. Many of these names derive from attempts to imitate some of its calls.
- Northern flicker is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It measures 12 to 14 inches. Its wingspan can reach 18 to 21 inches.
- It is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents. The flight of a flicker is preformed in a straighter manner than that of any other woodpecker. Their migrations are performed at night, even during the coldest winters.
- The male has a black streak along each side of the throat, while the female doesn’t have the black streaks on the throat and the black crescent on the breast is smaller. Females are duller in color than the males.
- Northern Flickers are frequently feed on the ground, probing with their beak, also sometimes catching insects in flight. Although they eat fruits, berries, seeds, and nuts, their primary food is insects. It has an extra-long tongue that can extend up to two inches past the tip of its beak. It’s the perfect tool for probing into anthills. Ants alone can make up 45% of their diet. The Northern Flicker also has large salivary glands that produce sticky saliva. Each time the bird extends its tongue, it gets re-coated with the sticky stuff — a veritable moving ant trap.
- Northern flickers are monogamous. A male flicker hollows out a cavity in a dead tree for nesting. The female will lay a bunch of eggs — 5 to 8 — called a clutch. Both the parents incubate the eggs for 11 days. The nestlings remain safely in the nest for 24 to 27 days, where both parents feed the young.
- Males defend nesting territory with calling, drumming, and many aggressive displays, including swinging head back and forth, flicking wings open and spreading tail to show off bright underside.
- 北撲翅鴷有超過100種的俗名，大多與牠的叫聲有關。
- 北撲翅鴷是中型的啄木鳥。尺寸為12到14英寸。它的翼展可以達到18到21英寸。
- 是少數會遷徙的啄木鳥。北部鳥會往南部遷徙。 而南部鳥則通常是留鳥。北撲翅鴷飛行比其他啄木鳥的飛行更直接。 即使在最寒冷的冬天，它們的遷移也會在晚上進行。
- 雄鳥在喉嚨的兩側都有黑色條紋，而雌鳥在喉嚨上沒有黑色條紋，而胸腔上的黑色新月形較小。雌鳥比雄鳥的顏色更不鮮明。
- 北撲翅鴷是常在地上覓食的啄木鳥，有時還會在飛行中捉捕昆蟲。雖然它們吃水果，漿果，種子和堅果，但它們的主要食物是昆蟲。它們有一個超長的舌頭，可以超過喙尖兩英寸，這是探測蟻丘的理想工具。它們45％的食物是螞蟻。它們也有大的唾液腺，每當它們伸出舌頭時，都會產生有粘性的唾液，真是名副其實的活動螞蟻捕捉器。
- 北撲翅鴷是一夫一妻制。雄鳥會掏空枯樹上的窟窿來築巢。雌鳥會產5至8個蛋。雌雄親鳥會用11天將蛋孵化。雛鳥可以在巢中安全地生存24至27天，親鳥雙方都會餵養幼雛。
- 雄鳥藉鳴叫似擊鼓的咚咚聲和許多富攻擊性的展示來保衛巢穴，例如來回擺動頭，甩開翅膀和張開尾巴以炫耀明亮的下側等動作。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Northern flicker
- American Bird Conservancy: Northern Flicker
- Washington Nature Mapping Program: Northern Flicker
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