I love the call of a Northern Flicker, but don’t hear it as often as I would like. Luckily, Sunday, right after I saw the Red-bellied Woodpecker feasting on her store of berries, a Northern Flicker swooped across the trail, landing in a tree on the hillside. He wasn’t in the best location, but I was able to squeeze out a shot or two. He had found Mother Nature’s bounty as well, and was consuming his calories in the form of Poison Ivy berries. Poison Ivy leaves are so gorgeous in the autumn. Bright red wrapped around trees, I always love picking them out as I drive down the streets or walk the trail. I don’t see the little white berries as often, and these would have gone unnoticed too if the Northern Flicker had not pointed them out for me!
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It looks like he's been to this stash before. Many of the little white berries have already been plucked from the Poison Ivy vine.
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We have the Yellow-shafted variety of Northern Flicker here in Cincinnati. Isn't he the noble gentleman for turning around to flash us those lovely yellow tail feathers! If you look closely, you can even see the yellow shafts under his wings.
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| Now for the view of the beautiful red crescent on his nape. |
Just gorgeous, Kelly.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bird. We don't have them where I live. You did such a grand job of capturing him on film.
ReplyDeleteKelly, I love your Northern Flicker photos!! It's rare that I see any here in Vermont.
ReplyDeletehowdee Kelly,
ReplyDeletewow..gorgeous pics of all the wonderful features of this bird..
I can see I have allot of great stuff to go thru here that i have missed..
Hope to be back soon to check it all out..off to do errands..see u soon.
These are such wonderful shots of nature you have captured for us!! Thanks Kelly!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous looking bird - great photos Kelly!
ReplyDeleteWhatlovely birds, I am seriously thinking of getting when I can afford it a better camera, we have many lovely birds here but my little camera cant get close enough.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy looking at your blog.
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteYou did a grand job of capturing this guys wonderful colors and patterns! Wow...just love those yellow tail feathers..so nice he was munching so you could get these great pixs!
Wonderful shots of the Flicker! Nice work.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot of the Flicker, Kel... I am not sure I've ever seen the underside of his tail before. SO--I'm not sure our Flickers are the Yellow shafted variety. Pretty, aren't they???
ReplyDeleteYou got some great pictures.
Hugs,
Betsy
What a beautiful guy, and so nice of him to pose for you! Thank you for identifying the vine and berries... We have several of those on our cherry trees and that's what all our birds have been eating lately, but I didn't know what they were! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteWe have the Northern Flicker here, but our Ottawa Valley prolific version of Poison Ivy isn't in fact an ivy...it grows as single plants that turn bright red in fall and do produce the cute little lime green/yellow berries. Those same berries that hospitalized a friend of mine after she picked them to put in a fall bouquet of wild plants....just sayin' ..be careful out there!
ReplyDeleteWhat great shots you got of him Kelly!! Awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI love flickers, too. That's a gorgeous shot of the golden yellow tail feathers.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit to a conditioned response - a shudder - to the thought of any one or any thing eating poison ivy. I know birds can do it without harm, but it still gives me pause.
I am so proud of you! You have a butt shot on your blog, it must have been the fever!
ReplyDeleteFantastic pictures, I have never seen a Yellow-shafted Flicker. Most of ours are the Red-shafted ones. Great post.
ReplyDeleteA handsome bird indeed Kelly.
ReplyDeleteThose yellow tail feathers are beautiful.
You got some wonderful shots there.
ReplyDeleteAmazing colours on this Beauty, wow!
:D
And thanks for the good laugh you gave hubby and me this morning with the fox / golfball story :D!
Great photos of the Flicker. I know I saw one in Washington State some years ago but am not sure which one. Reading your earlier posts - I love the little ceramic bird feeder. You are very talented to make something like that.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bird. Love that butt yellow tail!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful coloured plumage Kelly. Great subject to photograph.
ReplyDeleteA stunner Kelly. That flash of yellow must look strking when it flies off.
ReplyDeleteOh, SO much lovelier than the fleeting shot I got Kelly! He's gorgeous! Love those tail feathers. :c)
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of this flicker Kelly! Mine are so flighty and I never get to see them up close -- esp. from the underside.
ReplyDeleteWow - that is an exotic bird, you are very lucky.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bird. Great shots.
ReplyDeletec'est un superbe oiseau , bravo
ReplyDeleteGreat 'reverse' shot Kelly showing off those yellow shafts. FAB.
ReplyDelete...aren't those tale feathers incredible!! That's actually the first time I ever had such a good view of them. Flickers are usually on the ground or so far away. I seem to be seeing more lately...yeah!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't he pretty, love his yellow tail feathers and his red bandanna feathers. Well photographed.
ReplyDeleteHi kelly,lovely Northern Flicker Images.Smashing shots.
ReplyDeleteJohn.
Glennis and John.....thank you!!! I wish I could see more of these fellows. They are pretty!
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