Nature Notes: Norther Flickers Nesting Nearby

(how about that title for some serious alliteration)

I've got the pleasure of having a pair of northern flickers nesting in a snag (dead tree) right outside my bedroom window. So I took some photographs and video of one of them excavating a hole for the future flickers to be.

When I was a younger and just starting out as a birder, there were two species of flicker, the red-shafted and the yellow-shafted flickers. Then sometime in the 90s I believe that all changed. Two species became one - the northern flicker - which is described as having  two sub-species or races. The yellow one is in the east and the red one in is the west. I happily have seen both sub-species. These ones nesting are the red-shafted variety and I've seen them around since I moved in but just discovered their nest.

I first noticed a bunch of little wood chips on the ground along the sidewalk while walking Luna. I realized they were out of place and looked around and saw the snag and realized that the chips came from it. I looked up and saw a small spot where the flickers had been hacking away. That was about a week and a half ago. Now there is an obvious hole that the birds can get into. I am amazed at how they will sit still when I walk by. The tree has the audacity to be right along the sidewalk to the parking area so people walk by it every day. The hole is facing the sidewalk and is only about 15 feet off of the ground. I would think it would be too busy for them but the must be okay with the traffic as the two of them keep  drilling a hole.  I hope that obnoxious starlings don't discover it and push them out.

I will be taking photos over time and hopefully will see some little fledglings in a month or so. Keep an eye on the blog for updates.