All present and accounted for, Sir.
The roll call for my backyard birds has been called and every bird that should be there is there. Catbirds, yep. Thrashers, yep. And the last to make its spring appearance was a Flicker.
Northern Flickers are woodpeckers, and I believe they are the most beautiful bird to grace my yard. I found one dead in the front yard a few years back that had either slammed into a tree and broke its neck, or met a meaner, bigger Flicker and lost the fight. But when I picked up the bird, I was stunned at all the colors and intricate markings.
They are brown, black and golden feathered birds with a large white rump patch, a black necklace above a speckled breast and a red spot on the nape of the neck. The males have a black moustache. The females do not.
Flickers are the only woodpecker that feeds almost exclusively on the ground. They adore beetles and ants. They even have an antacid saliva to neutralize the bitter acidic taste of ants.
Flickers nest in deciduous trees and we have several dying maples in and around our yard. I hope they find a nice place. The housing market is tight you know, but we will always have room for a nesting pair of the most beautiful birds or all: The Northern Flicker.
