If songbirds are the flutists of nature’s orchestra, the woodpeckers dominate her percussion section. In this Rocky Mountain aspen grove, spring is just an early dream and no leaves have yet peeked out from the small aspen twigs. A light spring snow came last night. The woodpeckers are undeterred by winter’s last hurrah. Listen for the steady drum roll of the Northern Flicker and contrast it with the syncopated rhythm of the Red-naped Sapsucker whose drumming slows at the end of each phrase.
Listen for:
- Northern Flicker, drumming, single calls, long series display calls
- Red-naped Sapsucker drumming
- American Robin song and calls