Thursday, April 30, 2009

Redtops


This is one scraggily pileated ... I'm thinking he's a youngster who is still in that awkward adolescent time period.


I love this flower and I post about it every year about this time.
I can't help myself.


This Coral Bean, aka Cherokee Bean, plant grows amongst my blueberries. It's a toss-up as to who loves it the most, me or the hummingbirds.
...Tough as nails to photograph though the red never looks as red in the pic as it did in real life.

16 comments:

David said...

That is the goofiest looking pileated!! He looks like he's been pecking on an electric transformer.

threecollie said...

Great pics! I have the same problem with red flowers.
Wonder why.

Sandcastle Momma said...

He is a scraggly looking thing! Great shots even if the red didn't come out quite right.

LOL Word verification is beright - which I like to be LOL

cinbad122 said...

That is the most hideous bird I have ever seen...well almost! :)

SophieMae said...

Good grief! Can birds get mange? Maybe he's a throwback.

Red things send me right up the wall. Wonder why cameras have so much trouble with that particular colour. My painted bunting pic is the latest frustration. No matter how much editing I do, it's still too orangey. >:\ Googling images, it seems a very common problem.

h said...

He's the Johnny Rotten of the pileated. Anarchy at PFHQ!

lisa said...

Everyone has taken the words right out of my mouth, so I guess I don't have to comment on the bird. But the flower is beautiful even though the red isn't as viberant in the picture as in real life.

Miz S said...

The coral bean is beautiful! I hope later we might see a picture of a hummingbird enjoying it?

There was a beautiful, sleek pileated in my backyard this afternoon, and I DASHED OUT to get a picture, hoping to impress you. I was sorely disappointed when he flew off before I could snap the photo.

Susan Humeston said...

That pileated looks like he has mites. This is the spring, when birds look their best, so I hope you are right - that he is just a juvie with a bed head look.

robin andrea said...

I googled juvenile pileated woodpecker, and the photos I found didn't quite look like this poor fellow. I hope he recovers from whatever might be ailing him. Nice flower pics.

R.Powers said...

David,
Hmmmm, maybe ...

3C,
I don't have the answer, but I'm glad it's not just me.


SandCMomma,
The word verifications HAVE gotten a lot more interesting.

Cindy,
I hope it's temporary!

Sophiemae,
I figure I have an Ivorybill chick and nobody has realized it yet. This will be more famous than my meteorite!
and the red certainly is a challenge!

Troll,
LOL! I suppose he will burn out at a young age then.

Lisa,
I think we all agree this bird has issues. This flower is an amazing thing and even it's seeds are beautiful!


Suze,
I was just hypothesizing about that, but he does have that half way there look to me. He was very active and doing all the normal things.

Robin,
Thanks for that input. Maybe he was bathing in one of my water holes just before this pic. I suppose that is possible ... could he just be wet? It had not rained that day.

Deb said...

Wow, that woodpecker must be having a bad feather day! And, nice flowers.

Rurality said...

And I thought my teenage chickens looked scruffy...

Mark said...

I hope the pileated is OK. It's a great shot.

Anonymous said...

FC-
A few days, ago over on Barrier Island Girl, she posted the Coral Bean flower also. Hers shows up a magnificent red. Check it out.
Lightnin

Carol said...

Definately a bit scraggly...but they are great birds.

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