A Spring Visitor

For the past week we have had an unusual visitor in the back yard. A Lewis' woodpecker has taken up residency(temporarily we hope) in our big mesquite tree out back. According to the guide books he really should not be this far south in the state and probably in a higher elevation. Normally we have virtually a colony of Gila woodpeckers in the tree and the surrounding area. But this new bird keeps chasing them out of the tree or any other tree or phone pole he decides is "his". Now since the Gila's have been the dominant bird and chase everyone else off the feeder we feel like they are getting what they deserve! My back yard is much quieter without the squawking of the Gilas, but a little empty feeling too. The Lewis' pretty much leaves the smaller birds alone so there are still lots out there. Yesterday I counted 20 different species of birds in the yard.