Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Colaptes auratus

Wow, I believe I missed posting any photos the last three days! I was out on 7th, 8th and 11th July, and the trip on 11th was a long, 12-hour day that was totally exhausting! That day, I made myself drive south, almost to the US/Canada border, to visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. This is one of the long drives I make myself do each year now, to make sure I don't lose the courage to do the drive. It took me almost 6 hours to get there, as I kept stopping to take photos : ) In fact, I wasn't sure I was going to make it as far as my destination, or if I did, I might end up driving the last part of my drive home in the dark, which I definitely had to avoid. It was such a great day, though my poor old body was in so much pain the next day or two. A very hot day, too, but beautiful weather. I haven't even started going through my photos from that trip. Thank you so much, Shirley, for inviting us all out to visit you yesterday, 13 July 2019, while you were out again at your summer trailer at Eagle Lake for the weekend! The five photos posted this morning were taken while sitting on your deck or walking around the edge of the campground. Last year, on our visit, we saw fewer birds than in June 2017. This year, there seemed to be fewer birds than in August last year, but still plenty to keep us happy. With all the rain that we have been having the last few weeks, we were so lucky with the weather yesterday - it was perfect. It was such a pleasure to see some of "your" birds that you enjoy so much. We had an extra treat of seeing baby Northern Flickers in their cavity and watching a pair of House Sparrows busily feeding their babies right near the deck. Talk about cute! A few kinds of shorebirds were down along the edge of the lake, as usual, including an elegant Black-necked Stilt. I didn't notice any soapsud "icebergs" on the lake this year, but there were a few patches of soapsud foam at the water's edge. The small Hutterite food stand was in the trailer campground again this year. A delightfully friendly lady showed us what she was selling and some of us bought a jar of her strawberry/rhubarb jam. After chatting for quite a while, it was a huge surprise when she insisted on giving us one of her fruit pies to share back at the trailer - delicious, too, I should add. Great to see everyone who went, and we all enjoyed an array of salads and desserts, along with Shirley's Chili, that left me feeling full till the early evening. Many thanks, Anne B, for driving the four of us east across the prairies. Hugely appreciated, as always!

A Northern Flicker, seen excavating a cavity at Bankside, Fish Creek Park, on 7 May 2014. I so rarely get out for a walk, but I'm glad I went that morning, and caught this male working hard. Most of the Flickers we see here are hybrids. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_flicker www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_flicker/id Overslept this morning, thanks to having to take a muscle relaxant tablet last night. Actually, I only took half a tablet, just to see what it would do, so I can't say I look forward to having to take a whole one for the next 30 days. These are part of the treatment for the inflammation of my rotator cuffs, especially in the right shoulder, along with an anti-inflammatory ointment, heat, etc.. Finally had my appointment with my doctor yesterday, and she said she doesn't think there are tears in the rotator cuffs. Have to set up physiotherapy (which normally I avoid, as it's expensive and I don't like having to go, ha). However, when something interferes with my photography - not to mention everything else I need to do - then I have no choice but to go : )

This beautiful female Northern Flicker was busy building a nest in this tree cavity, on 22 April 2014, at Carburn Park. "Both sexes help with nest excavation. The entrance hole is about 3 inches in diameter, and the cavity is 13-16 inches deep. The cavity widens at bottom to make room for eggs and the incubating adult. Inside, the cavity is bare except for a bed of wood chips for the eggs and chicks to rest on. Once nestlings are about 17 days old, they begin clinging to the cavity wall rather than lying on the floor. Northern Flickers usually excavate nest holes in dead or diseased tree trunks or large branches. In northern North America look for nests in trembling aspens, which are susceptible to a heartrot that makes for easy excavation. Unlike many woodpeckers, flickers often reuse cavities that they or another species excavated in a previous year. Nests are generally placed 6-15 feet off the ground, but on rare occasions can be over 100 feet high. Northern Flickers have been known to nest in old burrows of Belted Kingfishers or Bank Swallows." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_flicker/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Flicker

After a morning walk at Votier's Flats this morning, I decided to drive to the eastern end of Fish Creek Park and check on "my" Great Horned Owls (could only find one of them today) and try and get a few Chickadee photos - I know, Doug and Phil, I don't NEED any more : ). While I was sitting on a low log, focusing on a higher log, this beautiful Northern Flickr flew down to the end of the log. The light is almost always bad in this area, but I did manage to get a few OK shots.

A beautiful Northern Flicker hybrid, stopping long enough to briefly turn its head away from the cavity it was busy making. He's using his tail for balance. Photographed at Carburn Park on March 3rd. Words from a local naturalist, that were made about a previously-posted Northern Flicker, that explain what a hybrid looks like: "This photo shows characteristics common to the Northern Flickers in the Calgary area. All of our birds are basically hybrids between the western Red-shafted and the eastern Yellow-shafted forms. This bird is a male, indicated by the moustache or malar stripe. This is normally red in the western form and black in the eastern form. Both colours occur on this bird. The yellow shafts of the eastern form are plainly visible in the wing of this birds. Also characteristice of the Yellow-shafted is the red nape patch. Uncharacteristic is the gray throat, typical of the western form. The markings around the eye, while most like the western form, are more exaggerated." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_flicker/id/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Flicker

This photo is perhaps a little misleading, as this beautiful Northern Flickr was hard at work making a cavity in the tree trunk. This resulted in most of my captures having a very blurry head - oh, the joys of trying to photograph Woodpeckers, of any kind : ) Photographed this beauty down at Sikome, Fish Creek Park, on April 26th. Quite a dark little spot, in amongst the trees. Good morning, Jim (Garnite) and Linda! Hope you had a restful night (both of you) and that Jim's body was able to rest and grow a little stronger, ready for that wonderful moment when he will wake up and open his eyes. So many people are waiting for this good news! Thinking of you both!

Another photo of this gorgeous Northern Flicker, this one showing the black bib and all those amazing black spots (which I love!). From a local Naturalist: "This photo shows characteristics common to the Northern Flickers in the Calgary area. All of our birds are basically hybrids between the western Red-shafted and the eastern Yellow-shafted forms. This bird is a male, indicated by the moustache or malar stripe. This is normally red in the western form and black in the eastern form. Both colours occur on this bird. The yellow shafts of the eastern form are plainly visible in the wing of this birds. Also characteristice of the Yellow-shafted is the red nape patch. Uncharacteristic is the gray throat, typical of the western form. The markings around the eye, while most like the western form, are more exaggerated."

A Northern Flicker seen today on a short, local walk. This one lives in the same area as "my" Great Horned Owls. Just had to go and check on them again today and I suspect that the small mass of very downy feathers that I could see to one side of Mum, and just above the edge of the cavity, could have been an owlet. I really hope so! Guess I'll have to start checking more frequently from now on.

We were watching this Northern Flicker in a local park yesterday. It was busy excavating a round hole in this tree trunk - you can just see part of the dark cavity behind the breast. This is a male, as it has the red "moustache". Excavation lasts for about two weeks.

The Northern Flicker belongs to the Woodpecker family and is a very attractive bird. "The Northern Flicker spends much of its time on the ground, feeding on ants and other land insects." From 'Birds of Alberts' by Fisher and Acorn. Most of the Northern Flickers we see here are hybrids.

Had to crop this image quite heavily, as I was unable to approach any closer.

One of the Northern Flickers that I sometimes see on one of my local walks. Such striking birds. Yes, I know that white line in the background is VERY annoying!

I didn't hear a sound from this Northern Flicker this afternoon and so was surprised when I suddenly noticed it high up in a tree.

Well, it sure felt wonderful to have temperatures that were not in the -20Cs this afternoon. No lens error messages and no dead batteries because of bitter cold. More importantly, no painfully cold fingers. And BLUE sky!

One of the two usual Flickers that I see in one of my favorite local parks. Caught the late afternoon sun.

Oops, again - my flash delayed the photo of this Northern Flicker, but I ended up with this gorgeous display of colour and pattern instead! So beautiful.

A very strange angle but it does show the colours and feather patterns of this Northern Flicker quite well.

These really are spectacular birds! Love the orange moustache that matches the wings.