Custom Search

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Northern Flicker

Sunday morning was bright and sunny and that seemed to bring out many more birds than I've seen lately on the West Bay Walkway. While I was busily photographing the robins and the chickadees, I suddenly noticed this Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) posing on a nearby boulder. I've been waiting for about three years to get a shot of this bird like this and just happened to have everything set up just right to capture it. Good thing I was ready because with the usual shyness of flickers, this one took flight within a few seconds.

5 comments:

Leeds daily photo said...

Nicely caught. Not heard of this bird before, thought it looked a bit like a woodpecker.

s.c said...

Great shot. Good of you. Like it very much.

JoJo said...

They are beautiful birds that's for sure, but destructive. We don't have them here in MA that I know of, just your regular small woodpeckers.

Dean Lewis said...

Excellent capture of a beautiful bird! I believe an earlier shot you had a year or two ago showed how the ermineskin chest markings are remarkably heart-shaped.
With the gold under the wings and tail, I think the Northern Flicker also goes by the name Yellow-shafted Flicker, and is a member of the woodpecker family.
What an exotic bird, and a good-sized one as well.
Congratulations on getting this shot.

Jabba said...

I remember the first time I saw a flicker, I couldn't believe my eyes! This is a gorgeous photo.