This past Tuesday I was doing chores at my small Northwoods cabin in northern Minnesota. In the process I discovered a Eastern Phoebe Nest, a Northern Flicker nest hole with two chicks, and this Rose-Breasted Grosbeak chick which had just taken its first flight. The chick did not move for hours (needed to rest and have its wing muscles recover from a first flight), but Mom knew where it was located and fed the fledged youngster often.
The wildflowers are gorgeous right now. Get out into the countryside and enjoy the explosion of color. Whether you like daisies, buttercups, lupine or our state flower, the Showy Lady Slipper, there are colors for everyone. I would be happy to share privately the location of the Showy Lady Slippers with anyone … just contact me.
Showy Lady Slippers of the Northstar Lake Region … 1,000’s in bloom right now.
In case you are partial to Lupine, drives some back roads near Lake Superior (or Scenic 61 between Ryan Road and Lakewood Road)
How long does it take to capture nice photographs? In the instance of the Northern Flicker Chicks at the Woodpecker Hole, a long time!
I found the Flicker nest 7 weeks ago (35 days) … just as the pair were claiming their home
Once the chicks hatch, they spend about 12 days in the hole before fledging (data from the Cornell School of Ornithology)
Multiple visits to the nest hole in the final days waiting for the chicks to appear for a feed
70 minutes last Friday evening on site waiting for a feed to happen! I was actually not planning on heading over to the nest location after supper that night, but when the sun unexpectedly came out, I knew I had no choice if I wished to experience this event. Juvenile Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers were already visiting my suet feeders, and their parents would teach them about bird feeders. Time was of the essence.
Thus, my process involved finding the nest hole … researching the the nesting data for Northern Flickers … making repeat visits the final few days when the chicks would be sticking their heads out of the hole and demanding to be fed. Believe it or not, I actually saw the older chick fledge on Friday evening.
Northern Flicker Chicks at the Woodpecker Nest Hole
Where’s Mom or Dad? We want food!
Video taken during the feed (video link for email subscribers)
The older chick often pushed its smaller sibling back into the hole. If one controls the opening you get more food!
Mom flew to the top of the dead tree when she wanted a break. The youngsters could not see her up there!
