Our new house in Montana is near the forest, but there aren't many trees in the immediate vicinity. As I've been documenting here and in my trailcam blog, there has been a parade of bluebirds and hummingbirds going through the yard at the places I have set up for them, but we don't get the variety of birds that I got at my house in Massachusetts, for example. This morning I saw a woodpecker and a goldfinch pair, first time here for both species.

The woodpecker was a flicker, which is a relatively big bird that often forages on the ground. The goldfinch pair was the bright yellow male and the less colorful female. I didn't get photos today of either species, but I have some in my galleries from days gone by. The flicker is from Massachusetts 2004, and the goldfinch is from South Dakota 2010.

Massachusetts flicker 2004

South Dakota goldfinch 2010

Update: Not one but three flickers came to my improvised bird bath on July 26 and were captured on trailcam. A goldfinch has also been caught on trailcam but those images really aren't worth posting.

South Dakota goldfinch 2010