Bird Journal: Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker - photo courtesy of Pixabay

I knew it!  I just couldn't prove it! Until recently. There are Northern Flickers at The Shack. I'm thrilled to have finally positively identified one. And through the excitement of seeing an elusive Flicker I am learning a bit more about them.

When I lived in my previous apartment, a single Northern Flicker sat perched on a tall, dead tree very near to my 3rd floor balcony. That is how I became familiar with what the large woodpeckers looked like. I moved away from that apartment and hadn't seen a Flicker since.

At The Shack, a couple of years ago, I thought I saw a Flicker. But it was at a distance. I let self-doubt creep in.

Flicker at the birdbath with the support of a bluebird.

During the camping trip in February the Flicker came to visit my birdbath! Several times. The Flicker was bashful, clearly knowing that there was motion inside of The Shack. He flew away every time I moved even the slightest bit. While the bluebirds clearly know when I am present (they seem to look in the windows to see if I'm there) they allow me to move around in front of the window and take photos of them. So I moved my position (hiding behind the wall) and propped my camera up (I REALLY need a tripod) and I waited. Eventually, the Flicker joined the bluebirds. I could barely contain my excitement.

The next morning, if I held perfectly still, the Flicker came on his own.

My photos aren't very clear because the double-pane windows at The Shack have some condensation between the panes at the bottom. But between my photos and watching with the binoculars, I clearly see that I have a male Northern Flicker as a neighbor! And in the morning light, his colors are especially beautiful.

For a bit, I thought I may also have a female Flicker present. But I did not get photos of her. And it may have just been the male but at angles that made his mustache hard to see.  You can be sure I will continue to watch for the Flickers and hope that it is a pair living there. 

 a Flicker's colors are beautiful - even through a foggy window

Northern Flickers

Since seeing the male Flicker, I have looked up some additional information. I now know that:

• Male Flickers (eastern) have a black "mustache" and the females do not (western birds have a red mustache)
• Other identifying colors of the yellow-shafted birds in the east include a white rump (visible in flight), red crescent on the back of the head, and a black bib. They also have grey and tan shades of face.
• Northern Flickers are woodpeckers but they also spend a good deal of time on the ground (which I observed in my yard)
• They eat mainly ants and beetles (which may explain why they like my woods. I'm told many of my trees are dead from beetle-kill). 
• Flickers aren't known to frequently visit bird feeders but do like birdbaths (yay!)
• Northern Flickers are migratory - although in West Virginia, the map shows that they remain year 'round.
• Northern Flickers nest in hollow trees. 

Related Links:

For more information about the Northern Flickers, including recordings of their sounds, visit theCornellLab's All About Birds site. I cannot access the internet at The Shack, but when I return to the land of internet connections it is my favorite site for identifying birds.

Because my woods is dying and the hollow trees are falling down, I want to put a nesting box (or two) up for the Flickers. NestWatch includes measurements and tips for making bird boxes specifically for the species of birds. 

I keep a bird identification book handy since the internet is not accessible while at The Shack.  I like the DK Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America. While more expert birders would recommend other field guides, I like this one because it is easy for a novice to use and the photos are in color and very helpful.




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My Basalt Bird Bath - The Popular Spot at The Shack

In April, I splurged and bought a basalt stone bird bath by Stone Age Creations. I wanted that bird bath from the moment I saw it at Sun Nurseries but it's price tag was almost as hefty as the stone itself. But I splurged. And I'm so glad I did.

You can read my original review about the bird bath here. Or jump directly to the Stone Age Creations page on Amazon here. 

Almost immediately the birds began enjoying it. And I enjoyed watching the birds. The eastern bluebirds seemed to visit the most often and the most tolerant of me being at the window to take photos.

Since April, I've moved the bird bath around (due to felling a tree and cutting the firewood) but it is still located at the old apple tree. I've also placed a Moultrie game cam on the wall of The Shack facing that direction. When checking that camera, I see that the bird bath isn't just a favorite of mine and the bluebirds but of an assortment of visitors. 

I thought I'd share some of those photos with you. 

These are the first observed visitors, my friendly eastern blue bird couple. 

I moved the bird bath to keep the tree from falling on it when we were taking out dead trees and cutting firewood. In next couple of photos the bird bath is just to the right, out of the frame. When I checked the camera in October, I could not figure out why several cats, a ground hog, squirrels, and other visitors walked from left to right.  In hindsight, I think they were all going to have a drink in the bird bath.

One of the many "wild" cats I have that visit. I'm not sure if they are dumped domestic cats or feral cats. But I have 4 regular feline visitors.

Yes, this is a bear!  No bird feeder to steal. Nothing to eat that I know of (do they eat weeds and wood chips?). I took the bird feeders down awhile ago because of the raccoon and bear birdseed thieves. 

Each time I check the cam that is hung on the wall of The Shack, it changes position just slightly. And I moved the bird bath after we got all of the brush and wood cleaned up. The following photos are from checking the cam during my November visit.

This deer apparently likes the bird bath. Night after night the cam catches deer in this area and drinking from the bird bath.

The bluejays came to visit (yes, plural. One on the bird bath and one in the tree).

What I realized, through the many pictures taken by the game cam, is that I am so glad I purchased such a heavy and sturdy bird bath. Especially since it is a water source for such a variety of animals. Other (taller or lighter) bird baths would likely tip over as some of the animals tried to drink... like this calico cat and black and white cat.

The only drawback is that I do not have any way to keep the bird bath full between my visits. I am looking forward to living at The Shack for many reasons. Keeping the bird bath full so that the animals (like this deer) don't find a dry watering hole.

Surprisingly, when I went camping this weekend, I put water in the bird bath and within 2 hours, the birds were back. Almost as though saying, "Hey slacker, where have you been?" and "Am I glad to see you". 

Related Links:

I love visiting and shopping at Sun Nurseries. It seems they have everything. Including fountains, bird baths, garden sculptures, and stone benches. Check out my review of that AMAZING plant and garden store here. 

I love my Moultrie game cams. I watch for clearance sales at local box stores or sporting goods stores. I can pick them up at 1/2 price or less this way. If you want to read my review of my first Moultrie, click here. If you want to read the update and see some of my first photos (including my first bear sighting on my own land), click here. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you

Moultrie has been the brand I rely on. However, there are many brands of quality game cams to choose from. Whether you are interested in improving home security or watching wildlife I highly recommend a game cam. It's really fun to see what goes bump in the night where you aren't watching.