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Daddy Flicker feeding babies

I was thrilled to be able to photograph this Northern Flicker nest! Mom and dad took turns flying in with food for the babies, which they fed at lightening speed. Often you could not see the babies’ heads when feeding took place, because the parent would put his or head way down into the tree cavity, but occasionally those little heads would pop out!

Male and female northern flickers look the same except that the male has the red patch on his cheek.

From Cornell: “Flickers are woodpeckers that eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them in trees and on the ground with their unusual, slightly curved bill. When they fly you’ll see a flash of color in the wings – yellow if you’re in the East, red if you’re in the West – and a bright white flash on the rump.”

Photo taken the morning of July 4th, 2017, in a friend’s back yard.