I reliably see four different species of woodpeckers throughout the long summers I spend in Prescott. In fact, every day I bear witness to the northern flickers, acorns, hairys, and ladderbacks that visit my yard's suet feeders. The only other one I've seen on my property has been a red-naped, and that was during autumn several years ago, as the woodpecker foraged high in a ponderosa pine. But then yesterday, on my only visit to Granite Basin Lake all summer, I encountered an entirely new species, the Lewis's.
The only other time I've seen a Lewis's woodpecker was just over a year ago, along the Animas River in Durango, Colorado. I was struck by it's unique coloration, not exhibiting mostly black and white like almost all of its local kin but showing a unique greenish backside and a torso splashed with winey red. And true to its reputation, the bird was acting more like a flycatcher as it made forays from a lamppost in its hunt for insects.
At Granite Basin Lake, I only spied the Lewis's for a minute as it perched atop the spindly, bare branches of a tall cottonwood. After I snapped a few pictures, the woodpecker flew across the lake into a dense copse lining the far shore. It was an exciting discovery after only a few minutes of early morning birdwatching. I had actually set out in the hopes of finding a few warblers as migration season unfolded; alas, I only found one, a Wilson's. However one lone woodpecker more than made up for any disappointment.
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| A Lewis's woodpecker at Granite Basin Lake in Prescott. |
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| A Lewis's woodpecker at Granite Basin Lake in Prescott. |
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| A Lewis's woodpecker at Granite Basin Lake in Prescott. |
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