Northern Flickers
Northern Flickers are large woodpeckers. However, unlike other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers mainly forage on the ground. They eat mostly insects (favorites are ants and beetles), hammering into the soil to find them, as other woodpeckers do drilling into wood and trees.
Northern Flickers are common and widespread, and are found year-round in the United States. The eastern version is yellow-shafted; the western version is red-shafted.
I came upon this yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, sitting pretty while absorbing the sun’s rays.
Fall foliage is occurring around the mid-Atlantic, I hope to get out and capture some of it. Here’s one ready to share.
This next photo is this month’s Beaver Moon rising after sunset. Oh boy, those trees are ready to transform into red, orange, and yellow!
As always, thank you for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Nice post Donna. 🙂
Thank you HJ 🙂
Enjoyed the look, always like to see the Flickers. I did not realize it was a super moon, or at least someone told me that.Curious, where does the term “Beaver Moon” come from?
Algonquin Native American tribes as well as American colonists called it the Beaver Moon because “this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Thank you for your question and comments, Jane!
Love flickers. So beautiful. Noisy but kind of shy.
I was surprised I lucked out on him not taking flight while I did about a dozen photos. 🙂
What an interesting bird the northern flicker is. I haven’t heard of them before. Almost like a bizarro world woodpecker! And I hadn’t heard of a beaver moon before so I googled it and was amazed to find that there is a name for every full moon of the year. The things you learn! 🙂
Thank you Sue! I’ve been able to ID the flicker for years but never knew until a couple years that it was a woodpecker. Yep the things we still learn, even the Beaver Moon and other full moons for every month of the year! 🙂
Love the fall colors! Please keep them coming 🙂
Thanks and will do, Helen! 🙂
I spotted a flicker in one of our trees yesterday. They are such pretty birds. Thanks for sharing. Also, I had forgotten about the beaver moon, but remember that last year we had the beaver ‘supermoon’, which was closer to the earth than it had been since 1948, and won’t be that close again until 2037. Thanks for the photo and reminder!
Yes, they are pretty birds! And you are right, last year’s beaver supermoon was extra close to earth. I did a post on it if you’d like to see it. Cut/paste: bayphotosbydonna.com/2016/11/14/november-2016-supermoon/ or click on my “Moon” category down the right column, you will see the post. Thanks so much for your comments! 🙂
Great pics! We don’t have yellow shafted here.
Thanks Kelly! I never got to see a red-shafted when we were out west last summer, but I did to photograph the gilded flicker out there. 🙂
The gilded flickers are beautiful!
Thanks Donna for the introduction to Flickers. I have not known these birds. I also look forward to seeing your fall shots, it is such colourful time of year there, I hope one day to see. Have a great week my friend.
Thanks Ashley! I got out yesterday for some photos. 🙂 Have a greet week as well!
That first one is such an incredible photo – the sun on the bird, against the colour of the sky … beautiful.
Abby – http://www.seafoaming.com
Thanks Abby! I was happy he didn’t take flight. 🙂
Beautiful shot of the Flicker looking so regal,
Thanks Ellen! He did seem to ‘show off’ for me. 😉
Love Flickers – they rarely visit my backyard.
Thanks Kathy, hope one does soon for you. 🙂
I love flickers, and you do a wonderful job of highlighting their beauty here, Donna. Enjoyed all your rich, autumnal photos.
Thanks Jet, the flicker was a great model! 🙂
I’ve always hoped to spot a Flicker but have never seen one – your photo of this one is wonderful.
Thanks so much, fingers crossed one flies across your path. 🙂
Thanks, Donna!
In Colorado most of our flickers have red shafts, but occasionally I get to see intergrades. Both wear fall colors all year long. 🙂
I’ve not gotten to see a red-shaft out your way, but I did come across and photographed the Gilded Flicker, another beautiful flicker! 🙂
You are ahead of me with regard on that one! I have only seen it in my bird guide.
Photo’d it in Kaibab Forest in Arizona. 🙂
…you are also ahead of me with regard to that travel destination… 🙂
What a great picture of a beautiful bird! Despite its name “northern” it’s an unknown bird up here in the North (Sweden/Scandinavia). 🙂
Thanks M&R! This flicker is native to North America only. 🙂
Love the photo of the Northern Flicker and the Beaver Moon! I like the simplicity of the Flicker photo. The colours in your Beaver Moon photo are so beautiful.
Thanks so much for your comments! I felt lucky that the flicker stayed so still and didn’t take flight. And I’m anxious for our area trees to start to ‘pop’ with color!