Long ago, I showed up at my grandparents house sporting a mustache. “Why would you want to hide your handsome face with that?” was my grandmother’s reaction. It clearly didn’t work for me but for celebrated actor Clark Gable it did.

It also apparently works in the mind of a female Northern Flicker. Over time, the males have developed a dark face marking which looks a lot like a mustache.

I had a good look at this male during a visit to Marie Curtis Park.

Here is a female.

MYSTERY BIRD

I will identify it at the end of the post.

Other birds:

Some botany:

MYSTERY BIRD

The brown back and no breastband identifies a Rough-winged Swallow.

NATURE POETRY

The Woodpecker

His bill an auger is,
His head, a cap and frill.
He laboreth at every tree, —
A worm his utmost goal. – Emily Dickinson (1830 – 86)

Miles Hearn