I am linking up with Camera Critters
Tomorrow is Happy Earth Day, I hope everyone can do something outside to enjoy nature.
Last weekend I just happened to see a few cavity nesting birds at work. One was the Northern Flicker and the other was the Downy Woodpecker. They both seemed hard at work and really into excavating their nesting cavity.
The Northern Flicker will excavate a nest in a tree, post or even a cactus 8-100 feet off the ground.
Not the best Northern Flicker photos, the lighting was horrible and the bird was still a good distance from me. But you can the see the black mustache which id's this as a male flicker. They have a black necklace-like on their upper chest and their lower belly is beige with black spots.
The Downy Woodpecker hard at work clearing out their nesting cavity. The Downy's breeding habitat is mostly forested habitat and mainly deciduous trees.
The Downy Woodpecker has a black back and white spotting on its wings, has a white bar above the eye and one below the eye. They a white belly and throat, males have a red patch on the back of their head.
Thanks for stopping by to see my post and for all the nice comments.
To see more wonderful and cute critters please visit Camera Critters.
Also, thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting Camera Critters. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend!
Tomorrow is Happy Earth Day, I hope everyone can do something outside to enjoy nature.
Last weekend I just happened to see a few cavity nesting birds at work. One was the Northern Flicker and the other was the Downy Woodpecker. They both seemed hard at work and really into excavating their nesting cavity.
The Northern Flicker will excavate a nest in a tree, post or even a cactus 8-100 feet off the ground.
Not the best Northern Flicker photos, the lighting was horrible and the bird was still a good distance from me. But you can the see the black mustache which id's this as a male flicker. They have a black necklace-like on their upper chest and their lower belly is beige with black spots.
The Downy Woodpecker hard at work clearing out their nesting cavity. The Downy's breeding habitat is mostly forested habitat and mainly deciduous trees.
The Downy Woodpecker has a black back and white spotting on its wings, has a white bar above the eye and one below the eye. They a white belly and throat, males have a red patch on the back of their head.
Thanks for stopping by to see my post and for all the nice comments.
To see more wonderful and cute critters please visit Camera Critters.
Also, thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting Camera Critters. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend!
40 comments:
Oops..
these trees have swallowed the birds, and then vomit them out again.
There are multiple things needed for a healthy forested ecosystem. So often humans will chop down the snags (DEAD TREES) in a forest thinking they are doing a service. This practice is nothing more than the 'eye candy' needs of humans.
The reality is they are depriving certain bird species with potential nesting sites. Certainly for the woodpecker and other relatives, but also for those who come later like the common mountain bluebird who need a nest cavity to build it's nest.
This is why it has become common place to see nesting sites of manmade bird houses in the pine trees out west because otherwise the bird would go extinct from the area.
Nice pics and reminders.
Beautiful woodpecker, bad news for that tree. But, everything is natural.
I especially like the shots that show only their back ends. Those really convey the sense of work and busy-ness of birds in spring.
I love to watch birds building their nests - lovely photos
I think the flickers are so pretty!
Great series Eileen, how lucky that you were able to capture photos of two different ones in action! I would love to find out where my Downeys are nesting. I see and hear them every day, but have yet to find their nest.
Enjoy your weekend.
I've only seen flickers on the ground. So cool to spot them at home :)
I would love to get to see this...we have an occasional downy or 2 that stop at our suet feeder, but no sign of nesting activity in our very urban area!
Oh my gosh...these nesters are incredible images. Love how you captured their 'actions' in time. Wonderful.
Glad you reminded me that tomorrow is "Earth Day"....I would have forgotten.
Nice to see those 'peckers hard at work Eileen. Thanks for sharing your pictures and have a great weekend.
laughing at rainfield's comment - always has such an interesting view of things. :)
they're working very hard to make their homes. I love flickers -- we don't see them here, but in Oregon.
What cool shots!
Birds are amazing creatures.
Birds of the same Feather..., have a great weekend!
That first shot is so cute!
Fun to see them so busy working on their nests!
They certainly are industrious little critters, Eileen!
Hi Eileen, I have never seen a flicker at a nest. Great pictures! That Downy is a wonder, too! Have an outstanding Sunday tomorrow!
I adore these photos! It is interesting to see both birds preparing their nest cavities.
Lovely shots, Eileen! I haven't seen Flickers in a long time.
your shots today brought a big grin on my face. :) Cool shots.
Great angles on these shots! Interesting too!
Excellent Northern flickers are sop beautiful birds. I would love to see where some nests are ;-)
Hi Eileen, that must have been lovely to see and you photographed them beautifully. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
great captures!
Great pictures of these hard working birds.
I haven't seen any Flickers yet this year but I do have a pair of Downeys that visit the suet feeder so a nest must be nearby.
Great shots!
Happy Earth Day to you.
BTW: I changed my blog template to accomodate the larger pics. With bloggers new interface you can choose the size of pic to post. My new layout will let me post the extra large pic. Sometimes I change the HTML to size it but I'm not sure that will happen when the new interface is all we have.
The size of the holes these woodpeckers can create is remarkable sometimes.
Interesting pictures.
Stewart M - Australia
Eileen, that is pretty incredible! Wow! I didn't actually realize they dug their holes out-just thought they found a hole to nest in...
Wonderful busy birds tending their nests! I saw many of the Flickers in the large Saguaro cactus while in Arizona. I do miss them however I should soon see the woodpecker in an around my woodlands.
Great post Eileen!
I don't see many Flickers here and didn't realize the mustache was the "give away" on the gender! Super captures of this bird behavior!
Hi Eileen, so sorry not to have commented for a while :-( I am struggling to keep up with blogging at the moment! I have enjoyed catching up with your interesting posts and looking at the lovely photos. You have had some great outings lately.
I love Woodpeckers but have only seen one in my garden a couple of times. It always amazes me that they don't get dizzy when they are hammering away at trees ;-)
By the way, I am with you all the way concerning cats, they are so destructive to birds! Give me dogs any day, I adore them. Which reminds me, I thought your Goldie Girl looked very smart after her haircut but then she always looks beautiful :-)
We have flickers,but I almost never see them,most times they are on the ground eating,I believe,carpenter ants.You got some great shots,he was really getting inside that tree!
Happy earth day!phyllis
Great shots, that is so cool! Inside the tree, that is amazing!
Wonderful birds. Enjoying your shots, Eileen :)
http://www.1sthappyfamily.com
wow, eileen your beautiful photos just put me in the best of moods!
i really enjoyed your photos.
have a great wee ahead!
Wonderful shots!
very cool shots of the little hard working Flicker, eileen!!
love the one with the dog, so cute! hehehe
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