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!

Tags: Flicker, nature, northern flicker, photo, photographs, photography, photos

37 thoughts on “Northern Flickers”

avian101 on 11/04/2017 at 4:46 PM said:

Nice post Donna. 🙂

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 5:13 PM said:
  
  Thank you HJ 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Jane's Heartsong on 11/04/2017 at 5:14 PM said:

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?

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 6:14 PM said:
  
  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!
  
  Reply ↓
Martha Johnston on 11/04/2017 at 5:35 PM said:

Love flickers. So beautiful. Noisy but kind of shy.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 6:18 PM said:
  
  I was surprised I lucked out on him not taking flight while I did about a dozen photos. 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Sue on 11/04/2017 at 5:53 PM said:

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! 🙂

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 6:21 PM said:
  
  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! 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Tiny on 11/04/2017 at 6:58 PM said:

Love the fall colors! Please keep them coming 🙂

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 7:30 PM said:
  
  Thanks and will do, Helen! 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Anonymous on 11/04/2017 at 8:01 PM said:

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!

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 8:16 PM said:
  
  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! 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
1nmbirder on 11/04/2017 at 8:53 PM said:

Great pics! We don’t have yellow shafted here.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/04/2017 at 9:40 PM said:
  
  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. 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
  - 1nmbirder on 11/04/2017 at 9:41 PM said:
    
    The gilded flickers are beautiful!
aussiebirder on 11/05/2017 at 2:37 AM said:

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.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 6:53 AM said:
  
  Thanks Ashley! I got out yesterday for some photos. 🙂 Have a greet week as well!
  
  Reply ↓
Abby Strangward on 11/05/2017 at 2:43 AM said:

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

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 6:54 AM said:
  
  Thanks Abby! I was happy he didn’t take flight. 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Ellen Jennings on 11/05/2017 at 7:00 AM said:

Beautiful shot of the Flicker looking so regal,

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 6:55 AM said:
  
  Thanks Ellen! He did seem to ‘show off’ for me. 😉
  
  Reply ↓
kathydoremus on 11/05/2017 at 7:45 AM said:

Love Flickers – they rarely visit my backyard.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 6:55 AM said:
  
  Thanks Kathy, hope one does soon for you. 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Jet Eliot on 11/05/2017 at 8:21 AM said:

I love flickers, and you do a wonderful job of highlighting their beauty here, Donna. Enjoyed all your rich, autumnal photos.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 6:57 AM said:
  
  Thanks Jet, the flicker was a great model! 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
Birder's Journey on 11/05/2017 at 2:44 PM said:

I’ve always hoped to spot a Flicker but have never seen one – your photo of this one is wonderful.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 6:58 AM said:
  
  Thanks so much, fingers crossed one flies across your path. 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
  - Birder's Journey on 11/06/2017 at 7:49 AM said:
    
    Thanks, Donna!
tanjabrittonwriter on 11/05/2017 at 7:14 PM said:

In Colorado most of our flickers have red shafts, but occasionally I get to see intergrades. Both wear fall colors all year long. 🙂

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 7:00 AM said:
  
  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! 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
  - tanjabrittonwriter on 11/06/2017 at 8:25 AM said:
    
    You are ahead of me with regard on that one! I have only seen it in my bird guide.
  - bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 11:39 AM said:
    
    Photo’d it in Kaibab Forest in Arizona. 🙂
  - tanjabrittonwriter on 11/06/2017 at 5:28 PM said:
    
    …you are also ahead of me with regard to that travel destination… 🙂
Meggie and Roffe on 11/06/2017 at 5:09 AM said:

What a great picture of a beautiful bird! Despite its name “northern” it’s an unknown bird up here in the North (Sweden/Scandinavia). 🙂

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 7:06 AM said:
  
  Thanks M&R! This flicker is native to North America only. 🙂
  
  Reply ↓
creatingmindblog on 11/06/2017 at 4:40 PM said:

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.

Reply ↓
- bayphotosbydonna on 11/06/2017 at 5:37 PM said:
  
  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!
  
  Reply ↓