Gilded Flicker in the Arizona Desert
Gilded Flicker in the Arizona Desert
Good grief, it’s been a month since I last caught up here on the blog. We have been so busy with shows, going back to Yuma to finish with the dentist, a few days in Ajo, sheesh. It’s been great!
We left Tubac after a five day art show on Monday, and went to one of our favorite spots. We just needed an in between spot for a few days to get laundry done, groceries, other business crap, all that. But….we had a pair of yellow shafted flickers right outside the RV. I have seen red shafted flickers in Wyoming, but a gilded shafted was all new to me. When I wrote this post I thought it was a yellow shafted flicker, but a friend on instagram corrected me that it is a gilded. So, that’s why the title of this post is corrected.
I only got to spend a day with this nesting pair, so lots of images on the blog today.
The male flicker was busy in the saguaro building the nest.
He would peek his head out, then disappear inside and I could hear Rat-a-tat-tat inside the cactus. He would also call to the female.
I wasn’t super lucky in the “in flight” department.
This was kinda cool though.
The launch…..
The twist and fly.
The pose.
The launch.
Another launch.
It was a really fun thing to see.
How beautiful — I love the adventure and beauty in your life. Very inspiring!
Those are amazing shots, Mary! I love it when you catch them in mid flight so we can see those tiny feet tucked underneath, like the wheels of an airplane!
What a beautiful bird and how fun to hang out and get such great shots of it.
Wow, awesome shots of the Flicker. It is a beautiful bird, lovely colors. Wishing you a happy day!
Wonderful images, Mary! I probably would have looked, and said……oh there’s a Flicker. How nice to have a fellow bird lover gently correct you on the variety.
Great shots! Love the dive bombing one! Fun to watch their antics!
Great captures! We have Northern flickers here, the coloring is very similar. Mostly we see them flying out of the edge of fields, their white rump is very distinctive and sometimes the only way we know what we’re seeing! I think they have a very distinct call too, though right now I can’t remember what it sounds like! I’ll know it when I hear it this spring though. :)
What sweet birds! I’d love to visit AZ again one day. Especially the Grand Canyon!