Surprise in Nature: Hoopoe NOT Woodpecker

Thanks to my friend Jessica, who took time to do a bit of research, we learned that the interesting bird in our yard was NOT a Woodpecker, but rather a Common Hoopoe (hu-pu). 

Here are just a few interesting facts about our daytime-in the yard-DEFINITELY welcome-visitor!

• National bird of Israel
• State bird of Punjab, India
• Considered sacred in Ancient Egypt
• Sign of virtue in Persia
• Appears on the logo of the University of Johannesburg and is the official mascot for the Universities sports.

Thanks Jessica for taking the time to look into that for us.  It meant a lot to us and we feel all the more blessed....and educated!