Rat a Tat Tat, the Flicker.

 "His bill an auger is, his head, a cap and frill. He laboureth at every tree.A worm his utmost goal..." --Emily Dickinson 

 This time of year have been finding many Flickers hanging around with the other birds, stuffing their faces with seeds, bugs and beetles. They are great stuffers.

 Pretty soon they will start rat a tat tatting on tree stumps and houses. Yes, houses. They especially like stucco. Or hollow stucco pillars. They make the most impressive noises I think when they tap furiously away on the outside. Stucco blazing down to the ground.

 I don't think the neighbours were impressed the year the Flickers took it into their pretty heads to destroy  the stucco on their house. Luckily, the bird society told them to leave them alone that they would stop once mating season was done and they could repair the damage.

 I would stand and watch the Flickers rat a tat away on their house and wish they would come over to our house and rat a tat on the siding. Probably not a sound they like. The sound off the pillars was deafening. It was hilarious. Neighbours didn't think it was hilarious, of course. They had to get their pillars fixed in the fall. The mess was awful. Secretly, I thought it was cool....

 Ever since then the Flickers have been hanging out in my yard.  No longer do they rat a tat on the pillars next door.

 I wonder what they will  try this year. They are great percussionists, with a catchy rhythm all their own. They seemed to like the fireplace flue last year.....

 "A woodpecker's drilling to the mountain's clouds...." -Dakotsu Iida

  Flickers have such a gentle, soft expression, with a slim rounded rounded head and a tail that comes down to a point. Very handsome. All those spots.....sigh.

 Cordelia, from the house on the hill, likes to watch the Flickers.  

 Flickers spend a LOT of time on the ground.

 In trees they like to perch upright. They like to see. They like to keep watch.

 Kind of like the Cat Plant.....He likes to watch them.

 Since we are in a rain forest they are pretty common here.

 The experts say that most Flickers won't go near birdseed, but that is not true. Every day there are a few of them playing in the seed pan, eating the biggest sunflowers they can find. They spend a lot of time in there with the Jay, and the Towhee and the Varied Thrush.It's been going on for years.

 It must be their rather gentle nature, because even the small juncos are not afraid  and will share space. As do the doves, who are rather timid and flighty and not too bright at times.They flop all over the seed pans and the Flickers pay them no mind.

 I'm waiting for those Flicker  rat a tats to start. I hope it will be on the fireplace flue, but I think they might try the pillars next door. Lucky neighbours. Stucco flying. Flickers happy as clams, trying to impress each other with every rat a tat.

Now THAT would be a photo op worth listening for........

 "Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head...." -Joe Marcucci

Photographs 2018