Happy Valentines Day - bird style

 Last week I noticed three Downy, one Hairy woodpeckers and a couple of Northern Flickers in my backyard chasing each other around.  A male and female Downy would land near each other on the cottonwoods and spruce.  At first the female was quite coy and seemed to be flirting with the male.  She would hide behind a branch and peer out at him from behind it.

Every once in a while she would look out from the branch at him.  Just like a couple of teenagers in the halls of my high school as a budding relationship starts.

Finally she got aggressive and chased him from tree to tree.  In the fading light it was too dark for me to catch the action.  She finally tired of the games and went to the black walnut tree to look for food.

While he searched the cottonwoods for some hidden treats that some of the chickadees had stored.  He found a sunflower seed and harvested the meat from it.

As the sun set, he left for the heavy wooded area while she followed closely behind.  They have been back several times and it appears that the dating is in full swing - just in time for Valentine's Day.

What a great way to end a day in the wilds of Idaho.