Seven species of woodpecker (a record) found at Ijams

Notice the white secondary feathers beginning to come in
to form the  triangle on the back.

This is the kind of thing that makes birders quiver. 

Last Saturday, John O'Barr, Jay Sturner and Jimmy Tucker found seven species of woodpecker in one and a half hours at Ijams.

Five species live at Ijams year round: the downy, hairy, red-bellied and pileated woodpeckers, plus the northern flicker. In winter the yellow-bellied sapsucker joins them. 

But, that's only six.

The seventh was the surprise. The triumvirate of birders spotted a juvenile red-headed woodpecker in the Ijams parking lot, the first ever documented during the modern era. H.P. Ijams may have seen them but today it's a species common on the Cumberland Plateau, but only rarely seen in the valley

John managed to get a photo. "Not a great pic, the lighting was terrible, and he didn't show himself too well before he flew away," he emailed. 

But, any photo that documents this species at the nature center is a memorable photo.

Great job!

- Stephen Lyn Bales