I'd love to see the Harlequin!

As for the other...
Bobitize the fools!

Harlequin can often be found this time of year near the inlet at Ocean City, MD.

Donna wrote that she didn't know why they were called red-bellied instead of red-headed.  The red-headed's whole head is bright red.  And, as I was told, the red-bellied was named by journalists in Europe.  Back in the days, specimens were  shipped there for naming and classifying.  The skins were laid belly up in a tray and all the journalists could see was the red-belly. 
Not sure if that is a true story, but its a good one. 

Hi Janet,
Tell Rich that it is a female red-bellied woodpecker.  The flicker is very brown. 
I love the red-shouldered hawk.  For such a predator, it has the sweetest face.
Happy New Year, gal.

We have 18 inches on the deck.  A kind neighbor brought his huge snowblower over and did our drive or I am not sure we would be out yet.  We have not had the severe winds that were predicted for further east of here.

Anne, so sorry to hear about your dad.  And how lucky you are to have had the love of nature instilled in you by a loving father.  Sympathies to you and all of yours.

I was hoping for a falcon to come along and take care of that pesky pigeon.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Hi Aafke,
Did you make the suet ball or can you purchase them?  If you make them, recipe/directions please.

Ravens? They are bigger than crows by 6+ inches in length and bulkier.

A must view for those who let there cats roam outdoors. Sorry, but it is my soapbox topic.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3635549/keep_animals_safe/

You can also use the log for peanut butter, mixed with a little cornmeal or just plain. 
Or Kathy O's recipe from several years ago: 1 cup each of shortning, peanut butter, flour, rolled oats, corn meal and raisins, 2 cups bird seed.  Melt the shortning & peanut butter, stir in the other stuff and dump into 9 x 13 pan, cool, cut into size you need.  Can be frozen.

Now that's the best news I have had all week!
And wow -- talk about finding a needle in a haystack.

You Rochester folks truly rock!

Paul

Wonderful news.  Dana gets a gold star.

I don't think they migrate like geese but... when not in breeding mode they roost in large numbers overnight and then spread out during the day to feed.  You will see them returning to the roost in the evening.  Hopefully they are roosting in woods and not in a residential neighborhood.

I think the woodpecker is a juvie red-bellied.  Because the shot is head-on, it looks strange.  Agree on the female cardinal and the LBJ.  That could be any number of sparrows.

The are almost weekly wildlife counts on both of these semi-manmade islands.  On October 10th at Hart-Miller there were 69 species of birds, 1 mammal (red fox), two snake species, 5 each butterfly and moth species, 2 each dragon and damsalfly species and 2 beetle species.  When one considers the lack of habitat before rebuilding, these are amazing numbers.
   

Mirta, you had me totally confused.  I know they breed in No. America, so I did not understand how they could be breeding in So. America too.  So I did a little research and discovered that there are five races of Am. Oystercatcher in N.A., C.A. and S.A. One is on the east coast of N.A., one on the west coast of N.A. and the other three in Central and South America. 
I am continually amazed by what I don't know after 72 years on this planet.