Continuing on with the “3-hour tour” of Buddy Todd Park on 6 March 2025 in Oceanside, California. Challenging lighting on some of these shots, but still great to see Cassin’s Kingbird w/ an acorn or berry:
Even better, a great sighting (and BirdingPI.com “first ever”) of Nuttall’s Woodpecker, both male and female, generally limited in range to the greater California area. Of course, where better to spot woodpeckers than neighborhood adjacent power poles?
Males have characteristic red patch, which females lack.
Following medley alternates Cassin’s Kingbird, male Nuttall’s Woodpecker, & female Nuttall’s Woodpecker:
[Editor’s note to staff: going forward, changing “Nuttall’s Woodpecker” (which is an awful name) to ‘Western Wood Annihilator.’]
Huh? annihilator? as if a bird could annihilate an entire wooden pole. It’s just pecking, not destroying.
Come on, Team Leader, enough with the ‘new’ descriptions! This team member prefers the ‘good ‘ol names!’
The problem is they’re doing away with honorific bird names. So the “good ol’ names” are going away, one way or another. And who wants a boring name like “Hairy” woodpecker, or “Downy” woodpecker, or the like? We have no idea what the woodpeckers call themselves. Maybe in woodpecker culture “wood annihilator” reflects their view of the world, e.g., no wood can escape my fierce bill and probing attack!
Anyway, please bring this up with the BirdingPI.com “2024-2025 honorific bird re-naming committee.” Comments on blog posts are not an appropriate forum. Any issues or questions, please see your HR leader.