During the eight years we live now above the Little Maquoketa Valley north of Dubuque, Iowa we have counted six different species of woodpeckers here in the woods around our house. Among them are the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the huge Pileated Woodpecker. We can see them all year around in the neighborhood. Only ones so far I have seen a Red-headed Woodpecker here but they are not uncommon in Eastern Iowa. The last of the bunch is the Northern Flicker. We see them mostly during late winter or early spring when they quite often sit on the ground and dig with their beak for insects or seeds.
While looking out for the Brown Creeper yesterday I suddenly saw a Northern Flicker fly to a nearby tree. It was sitting there only for a few seconds, but long enough to focus and make a few clicks of this wonderful bird. I hope you enjoy, thank you for stopping here in my blog and have a great weekend!