I observed this female Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) for quite some time yesterday, but had a difficult time getting a clear shot as she dug about in the undergrowth.
The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology notes that this type of woodpecker is unusual in that it spends a lot of its time on the ground, digging in the dirt for ants and beetles. I love the coloration of the Northern Flicker and you can tell that this one is a female, because she is lacking the mustache stripe under her eye.
I didn’t manage to capture her entire body in the shot, but I like the way that she seems to emerge from the colorful underbrush.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I love this bird. It’s one of the prettiest in the forest, in my opinion.
I definitely agree. It’s especially pretty when it opens its wings and you get to see the beautiful feathers inside.
Nice shot, Mike. More interesting composition than if it was standing on bare ground.
Thanks, Sue. The composition is more interesting, though the shot would have been easier with bare ground. As someone who has photographed a lot of birds, you can understand the difficulty of getting a shot in which the head is not buried in the undergrowth. I have lots of photos of the back of the bird’s head.
A fine character shot, Mike. I, too, like it that it’s in the undergrowth and not out in the open on the ground or on a limb or a trunk. And yes, they surely are beautiful!
Thanks, Gary. Initially I was a bit frustrated that I didn’t manage to get an unobstructed shot, but comments like yours (and a few others) have prompted me to rethink that initial impression.