Never in my life have I seen a red-headed woodpecker — till one day recently when this one showed up at our bird feeder and spent a day or two in the brush beyond our back yard. It was taking seeds and storing the in the bark of trees, so we hoped it might find this a hospitable place to stay for the summer. But it apparently moved on.

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My father has spoken before of seeing one when he was 6-years old. It raised young in a dead tree in front of his house. The city cut down the tree the following year, and there were no more woodpeckers.

All About Birds lists them as in steep decline. I guess they are more common farther to the south, but I suspect this is a once-in-a-lifetime sighting. I felt very blessed.

Along with the bluebirds, pileated woodpeckers have shown an interest in the suet this year. We had one come once or twice years ago, but this one — part of a family of the majestic birds that frequent the dead ash trees out back — seems quite interested.

We’ve seen bluebirds very rarely in the 24 years we’ve lived here. For some reason, this year we’ve had 3 or 4 pairs take up residence over the last several weeks, eating at the bird feeder. I thought you needed mealworms to attract these lovely creatures, but it seems peanut flavored suet is enough.

The bluebird is New York’s state bird. I so enjoy these small, fluffy bursts of color in an otherwise drab setting.

My daughter took the picture above, as well as this next one:

They’re our state bird, but we don’t see much of them.

They pass through this time of year, traveling in a small flock, and stay for a few days before moving on.

Somehow it’s often on a drab day that we look out and see them searching for insects or puffed out for warmth.

Lovely little spots of color among the branches, and part of the changing pattern of this place.