Fledgling

This young Northern Flicker is having to get used to routing for insects on his own. He spent a considerable amount of time last evening investigating the pickings under the edge of a paving stone.

 Downy feathers are still noticeable.

Northern Flicker

A flicker finds breakfast in a small ant hill

I always look forward to this life-affirming time of the year when the birds return to breed and raise their young in the forest here - crows, bald eagles, warblers, juncos, magpies, sparrows, various woodpeckers, robins, hummingbirds, ruffed grouse. 

Northern Flicker

I often see the flickers feeding in the vegetation, and as long as they don't notice my presence I am able to take a picture.  They are very cautious birds and will look up every few seconds to check for predators.

On this day, the female took advantage of a pause between rain showers to dig for grubs in a clover patch at the front of the house.  I took the pictures from the living room window.   

Northern Flicker

This morning I spied a flicker foraging on the ground a short distance from the house. 

Northern Flicker (red-shafted)

It has rained heavily all day.  A break in the showers brings out the birds to feed in the wet grass, and for a brief moment there is a little sunshine.

Northern Flicker

The Flickers must have a nest nearby.  I went for an evening stroll around the garden yesterday, hoping to see Hare-iet, when I noticed some movement in one corner.  I saw one flicker, and although I saw digging motions in another spot, the other flicker remained hidden.  They are very cautious birds, and if they detect me, they are gone.  I was able to get a picture of one of them searching in the weeds for insects, probably ants.

And Hare-iet.  She was there later, having her evening meal.

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Male Northern Flicker

I took these photos last Saturday.  The flicker was searching for insects in the bark of a poplar tree.  I probably wouldn't have seen him at all but for his piercing territorial call. 

There are some good recordings of the various sounds that the flicker makes at the All About Birds website.

 

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auralus

This handsome fellow appears to be a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker.  I can't tell from his flight feathers, but the other distinguishing marks would confirm this.  He has a tan face, gray crown, black moustachial stripe and a red nape crescent.

Red-shafted Northern Flickers have a gray face, brown crown and no nape crescent.  The males also have a red moustachial stripe. 

Northern Flicker

Close to Home

All the forest animals and birds are busy foraging for food.

Tap, tap, tap
I took these pictures of two Pileated Woodpeckers ten days
ago when I spotted them outside by the back deck. I had to
be so careful not to let them see or hear me as they are very
shy and would have flown away immediately. How do you
open a window quietly? I did it during the tapping.

A close-up of one of them digging for ants.

These last four pictures were taken on Friday

I'm seeing lots of little birds now flitting in and out of the trees,
after the berries, seeds of the weeds and flowers or insects.

The Northern Flicker is here as well; sometimes I have
come upon them on the ground grubbing for ants. This one
detected me and flew down the hill to perch on this birch
tree, still very cautious.

The chipmunk was so much fun to watch as I sat at the
picnic table. He was having a great time in the Saskatoon
berry bush,

his cheeks bulging with ripe berries.

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A Different Direction

These are the days of long walks over the countryside.
Today there is a very gusty, west wind blowing,
a gift from Mother Nature to help dry the land.
It was an invigorating walk with the noise
of the wind in our ears and everything
being blown this way and that.

I was trying to show the wind in the grass.

A little farther down the road we heard sounds
coming from a stand of trees, and then we saw
the Flickers, several of them flying from tree to tree,
engaged in courtship ritual. Such excitement
and a rare sight!

Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
"Red-shafted" (found west of the Rockies)
Male and female

Male, with tail feathers flared.

He's peeking around at her.

Northern Flickers

The winding road where we walked.

We were returning to the car, thankfully
with the wind at our backs.

A grove of windswept trees.

A lot of runoff is occurring now.

Fast flowing here and pooling
in the field.