This is actually three images of the same bird superimposed in the same frame. When I saw the three images side by side on my computer I immediately saw this composition in my head and I really like how they work together.
These are among a very few images that I have of Northern Flickers in flight. They are extremely fast fliers and it’s very difficult to capture them and make sharp images when they’re flying! I found this one North of Kelowna near Winfield, BC earlier this year.
I saw this Flicker while I was at Carburn Park. Initially it was on the ground but it spooked into a tree when I approached. It didn’t seem to mind me being close while it was perched, so I was able to get very close and make a number of images.
I’ve seen Northern Flicker’s on the ground before, but they usually don’t allow people to get very close. I would never describe these woodpeckers as shy, as they do tend to allow a close approach when they are perched in a tree, but if you walk towards them while they are on the ground they tend to take off pretty quickly. So I was very pleasantly surprised when this one allowed me to walk up to within about 15 feet of it while it continued to hunt for bugs in the ground. You can see the dirt all over its beak from where it was stabbing it into the ground in search of food.