Yet another wonderful woodpecker is returning to our shoreline, ponds, and woodlands. This fabulous golden-winged boy is a Northern Flicker, so named because of the brilliant underwing feather shafts that flash gold when he is in flight. Listen to his drumming and songs to a female before take-off.
BLUETS AND NORTHERN FLICKER – A FAVORITE BIRD AND WILDFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHED TOGETHER!
A chance moment with the elusive male Northern Flicker and a patch of Bluets.
I stopped to take a photo of the Bluets and the Flicker flew onto the scene. My lucky day!
Northern Flickers are a large species of woodpecker. The Northern Flicker found in the eastern half of the country has shafts of yellow on their flight feathers. I would have set my shutter speed for a fast action capture if there had been time but it was only half a minute that he stayed scrounging at the base of the Bluets.
Even though the flying photos are out of focus, you can see the beautiful yellow shafts as the bird takes flight.
Bluets are a lovely native wildflower native to the eastern portion of North America. The Bluet’s tiny florets range in color from almost white to a dreamy azure blue. Also called Quaker Ladies, the little bunches “quake” in the seasonal breeze! The sweet petite blossoms attract Little Carpenter Bees, Green Metallic Bees, small butterflies, and the Meadow Fritillary Butterfly (Boloria bellona). Both nectar and pollen are the pollinator’s floral reward!
Both the male and female eastern Northern Flicker have the v-shaped red feather patterning. The female lacks the black whisker, visible in the upper photos.
