1913 BIRDS OF THE FRESNO DISTRICT 55 



Dry Creek, below Academy, is another outlet from the hills that at times 

 makes possible the occurrence of this bird, but in general the range of the Cali- 

 fornia Woodpecker seems to correspond very closely to that of the oak trees. 

 This species should be confidently looked for among the valley oaks in the south- 

 ern part of the county. 



Lewis Woodpecker. Asyndesmus lewisi Riley. 



July 26, 1905, a Lewis Woodpecker was seen in a corral two miles east oi 

 Clevis. It was flying a few feet above the ground, and from the manner in which 

 it twisted and turned it appeared to be in pursuit of some small insect that was 

 not visible to me, although I was but a few yards away. Finally the bird alighted 

 on the side of a barn where it looked like a huge swallow. It remained there for 

 some moments chuckling to itself in an undertone. 



Six days later I observed what was no doubt the same bird, as it was within 

 one hundred yards of the barn where it wa>. first seen. This time it flew into 

 one of a row of poplars, where it remained quietly perched on a large branch. 



July 13, 191 1, while watching the hordes of blackbirds that swarmed about 

 the overflowed area near Wheatville, 1 was a little surpr'sed to see a large bird 

 that was at once recognized as a Lewis Woodpecker. It flew up from the bot- 

 tom of one fence post and alighted near the top of another nearby. Although 

 there was a sheet of water covering the ground for miles around, yet there was 

 quite a growth of oak timber and willows that extended away toward Summit 

 Lake ; there was also much country to the eastward where this species might be 

 found to occur commonly. 



March 28, 1912, while driving along the road in Scandinavian Colony, a 

 Lewis Woodpecker flew from a fence post and attached itself in a vertical posi- 

 tion to the gable end of a building. 



May 3, 1912, a fine, richly-colored individual was noted in a willow grown 

 area between Fowler and Del Rey. After a short flight it perched in a willow 

 tree, where it remained while I drove the car directly under the tree. I hardly 

 think any of these records indicate breeding birds. 



Red- SHAFTED Flicker. Colaptes cafer collaris Vigors. 



This Flicker is the only member of the woodpecker family that can be called 

 an abundant species in the vicinity of Fresno, and each year the bird.s appear to 

 become more numerous. 



Trees along the irrigation canals are used for roosting places and tor con- 

 cealment, but the Flickers feed upon the ground in large numbers, especially in 

 the fall and early v/ inter. They often spring into the air from under the very 

 feet of a hunter, the suddenness of their appearance and their querulous call at 

 such times being quite disconcerting. 



Ants seem to be the favorite food of these birds, and ii is no uncommon 

 sight to see two or three Flickers on the ground near an ant hill greedily dispos- 

 ing of the occupants as fast as they appear. Old decaying logs are also carefully 

 worked over at frequent intervals, as well as the rough bark of cottonwood and 

 willow trees. 



Unfortunately these handsome birds have fallen into disfavor among a large 

 number of both city dweller? and country residents, on account of their habit of 



