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At first, the four Western Bluebirds that live behind my California home were elusive. They’d flee past me and hide in the forest when our paths crossed. So I started leaving them food. I tried Kaytee Birders’ Blend, which includes peanuts, corn, and sunflower kernels, and noticed that they liked the latter especially. I’d spread a handful in the summer mornings or a few hours before sunset, and the bluebirds would stop by in pairs to snack. One grew particularly comfortable: It would stare me in the eye andÌýÌýwhile it gathered.Ìý

The bluebirds were my birding spark; I now notice the croaks of ravens and the mixed flocks of songbirds that fill the trees out back. I also see the shadows of hawks as they hunt around my house. The raptors’ presence makes the bluebirds cautious. Now, they appear silently on a nearby limbÌýto signal to me for weekly feedings.Ìý

After the success of my first feeding venture, I branched out and boughtÌýLyric Fruit and Nut High Energy Wild Bird Mix, which contains pumpkin seeds, cherries, pistachios, and pecans intended to feedÌýorioles,Ìýjays, and woodpeckers. So, when a black and red bird with a bulky beak started visitingÌýmy yard,ÌýI assumed it was the latter. But when I spotted an actual Acorn Woodpecker recently, I realized my backyard visitor was different.Ìý

When running throughÌýonline bird guidesÌýproved overwhelming, I consultedÌýa local expert: Tania Romero, an education staffer and habitat-restoration expert at the . Considering my clues and observations, she said that theÌýspecies in my yard must be a Red-winged Blackbird.ÌýThe boldly marked male has a bigger wingspan than most feeder regulars (about 12Ìýto 15 inches across),Ìýand shows aÌýflash of red as it swoops to the ground. It also calls out on warm, sunny days, typically aroundÌýnoon—a that drowns out the bluebirds. And while it has no problem tucking into the fruit-and-nut feed, it doesn't quite like my presence, always staying aboutÌý20 feet back near the woods.ÌýI've given up viewing the blackbird up close, but I hope it's enjoying its time in the neighborhood.

I'm planning to stick with the Lyric mixÌýbecause it's drawingÌýmoreÌýbirds and more species than the Kaytee blend. (The resident crows, which help chase awayÌýhawks, could be another factor.)ÌýMy guestsÌýdevour every single piece, singing their praises and filling my day with chirps. But I'm still vying for that woodpecker. This week, with Romero's advice, I went back to hang a suet feederÌýon the tree where I first metÌýthe acorn bird.ÌýI scheduled myÌýtrip forÌý8:30 a.m.—exactly when I sighted the clownish individual last—and dropped some mix into the grass. Looking up, I noticedÌýtwo woodpeckers scuttling around the trunk. They didn't stay long, though; after grabbing a nut or two, they both flew off.

Like the blackbird and unlike the bluebirds,Ìýthe woodpeckersÌýare probably shy around me. When I checked on the suetÌý(a vegetable-based option I picked up at PetSmart) yesterday, it hadÌýfour holes drilled into itsÌýsurface.ÌýI'll take it as a sign to continue to my visits,Ìýin hopes that my acorn friends will becomeÌýas interested in my offeringsÌýas they are in pecking trees.

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