Home Sweet Home in a Hole

photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

Thought I was hearing things…this hole seemed to have sounds coming from within and unclear as to what was exactly making those sounds.
Then only to realize the hole was an active Northern Flicker nest site. Turned out the cavity was home for three young…difficult to believe they could all fit inside.
Flickers are a member of the Woodpecker family and cavity nesters…the adults spend a great deal of time on the ground in search of small insects to feed themselves and their young.

Great fun watching Mamma Flicker come and go feeding three hungry mouths.

Exciting Find

photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

While out-n-about shooting one subject I could hear some distant none stop calling of some sort of bird. The sound being unfamiliar to me and I had no idea as to what was calling but seemed like more than one.

Time to investigate and followed the sounds, then they went silent…then the calling resumed. It took a bit to narrow the sound down but all of a sudden the mystery was solved as I stared at a cavity in a tree. Two heads peered out of the opening as Mamma Flicker came to the tree with food.

This being a first for me as I watched this Northern Flicker family…you just never know what you’re going to stumble across while out-n-about.

Pleasant Surprise

photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

Some times birds show up unexpectedly…so was the case with this Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker.

As I was leaving the summer place in Gimli a pleasant surprise, this bird with a digging in the lawn for ants/grubs.

It was more concerned on get something to eat than me getting out of the truck.