Northern Flicker

In the days before Terry and I traveled to California for Laura and Joe’s wedding, I was at the Much on the western side of Wellsboro helping to do some repairs to the blind on the boardwalk. Being early (as usual) I was in the parking lot observing some birds when a Northern Flicker flew to a tree on the edge of the lot and approached a small hole on the side. From inside came the unmistakable sounds of small birds wanting to be fed.

Sure enough, the Flicker stuck its head inside the knothole and rapidly moved it up and down in a motion suggesting it was shoving food down a very hungry maw. It then entered the nest hole and carried out the equivalent of a bird’s dirty diaper, which it then flew off with into the woods.

It was back a few minutes later with more food and I snapped this picture of the parent bird right after it fed more food to the nestlings.