As I was walking this weekend past the beaver lodge at my local marshland park, a flash of brilliant yellow in the trees across the little pond caught my eye. Through my telephoto lens I could see that there were a couple of birds in the trees, but I couldn’t see them clearly because of tree branches nor could I identify them. Still, I kept shooting, aiming at the spot where I could see the movement and the flashes of color. Here is an example of what I was seeing (though this image is significantly cropped).
Northern Flicker couple
After returning home and doing a little research, I found out that I had photographed a pair of Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus), a type of woodpecker that I had never seen before. I love their speckles and their black and red markings. These two birds were interacting in peculiar ways, with both of them flashing their feathers at the other, revealing the bright yellow colors that I had seen earlier.
Is this mating behavior? Were they putting on a performance for my benefit? I have not idea what was the cause for all of that behavior, but it certainly was intriguing.
None of my photos of these birds are that great, but I am always excited to share my photos when I see something for the first time. Perhaps the next time I will be better placed to get clearer shots.
“Maybe some sweet words will make an impression?”
“How do you like me now?”
“Two can play at that game.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
So they are male and female? Do you know from the top photo, which one is which? My daughter loves birds and knew immediately that these are Northern Flickers; she said she thinks the male is the one on the left. What do you think?
I don’t know for sure. One of my fellow bloggers thinks they may both be males, based on some of their characteristics. I am not a birder, so I am happy I could figure out their identity on line.
Loved these pictures, an excellent peek at the two little showoffs.
Thanks. As we move deeper into fall, any shows of color are much appreciated.
Excellent shots and a great pun too..:-))
Thanks. You have to have a warped sense of humor to recognize the pun (and even more warped to appreciate it).
Nothing better than a good or bad pun..:-))
I think those are two males facing off against each other — based on their mustache. The actions shots are great — especially the “flicker” of color!
Thanks, Sue, for the information. It changes my mental picture from one of courting to one of confrontation, maybe a bit of macho posturing, bird-style.
Those are beautiful birds. I’ve never met them in person though.
I’ve never seen them before (and who knows, maybe I’ll never see them again), but they really are cool-looking birds. According to its website, over 200 bird species have been seen at my marshland park, so I may have more treats in store for me.