Any idea what bird this is? The picture is a bit blurry, as it was taken through a screen.
bird.jpg

It'* a finch. Specifically a Carpodacus mexicanus. Commonly called a house finch. They are very common to Michigan. got any more pics. I have bird feeders next to my kitchen bay windows and watch every morning with coffee. That one is a female. The males have alot of red intermingled on their head and chest.

More pictures of that one? Sure. This picture shows what I thought to be the house finch behind it. That one is maybe 12 inches behind the other and is maybe only 3/4th the size of the one if front. That'* why I couldn't figure out what the heck it was.
bird1.jpg

Then, it decided to take a bath.
bird2.jpg

I'll have to try to get a pic of another bird that looks just about like that one, but is all brown. Very nondescript.

How about a downy woodpecker.
downy.jpg

And part of a red-bellied woodpecker?
RedBellied.jpg

Thanks Venom.

Cool, now I can see the male and the red in him. My wife is from Lowell. we will be going there this coming week to see her parents and family. We have the red bellied woodpeckers pout here also. And I have a Pileated Woodpecker hammering on my metal paneled deck roof calling for a female, I presume. I love birds but he'* about to get feed a 22 slug. The thing is a good 2 foot high and putting pock marks into the roof.

A friend of mine from work had a similar problem with woodpeckers destroying the siding on her house. They told her to hang aluminum pie plates from the eves to scare them off. I asked if they suggested that she wear an aluminum foil hat, too. It was only partially effective. They apparently just decided to leave on their own. I think she said that they called it "drumming"?

Once I get some more pictures, I may have to pick your brain on a few more. Have a hawk that we're trying to identify too, but have yet been able to get a good picture of it.

My brother lives out in the general area now. He lives near Parnell. If you get the opportunity while around here, maybe you should hit me up and we could find sometime/somewhere to meet?

Hey, Venom, I think you might be slightly off on your ID. The picture kind of makes it hard to compare the size of the two birds, but that one is considerably larger than the house finch behind it.
I believe it is actually either a female:

or juvenile:

Brown headed cowbird.

Not completely sure which, but the ruffled appearance would lend itself more to a juvenile. The black patches are unusual, but the body shape, beak, and other coloration all say cowbird. Finches aren't usually quite that plump, either.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAbou...d_Cowbird.html

OK, it'* for sure. If another one is hanging around with it, then the one in the pics would be a juvenile. If the other one is plain brown, with no black patches, that would be mom. You probably would also have a black bird with a dark brown head hanging around as well, which would be the male.

Actually Archon we will be at her parents Tuesday night and Wed. in Cedar Springs. Her sister still lives in Lowell. Maybe we could figure out where to set up a howdy Wed. later in the afternoon/evening.Thursday is busy and Friday we head for MSU where my wife in a alumni/guest lecturer in Veterinary medicine. Going to help one of the daughters move out of her dorm for the summer. She just finished her 5th year towards becoming a Vet as well.

Yah, drumming is kind of like a "hello, I'm here" for woodpeckers. Let'* everyone else know that they're claiming the territory.

As for the hawk, do you have a description? And do you own a bird-guide? If not get yourself a Peterson'* Guide to the Birds. Best illustrations, info, and organization of any I've used. Pretty much the benchmark standard for all birdbooks.

Is that an off shoot of "A CAR LOAD of MEXICANS"???

I hear your border guards love seeing those come through your borders!