Day 111: Colaptes auratus cafer (Red-Shafted/Northern Flicker) knows how to strike a balance. This handsome "woodpecker" uses its tail in a manner Olympic gymnasts could rightfully envy. Not only does it employ it as a counterweight, but also for leverage. Here at one of my feeders, Flicker executes a yoga-style "upward dog" in order to peck at a suet cake, using the stiff tail to push against the base of the box. This action lessens the amount of grip needed by its talons, and the bird can dine at leisure. "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Flicker beat Newton to the punch by centuries!
Beautiful! Well captured. When I first moved into my home on the mountain I had an uneasy relationship with flickers--they liked boring holes in my siding, and doing it with much noise. We've since come to a mutual understanding via metal sheeting and dangling shiny objects. They are welcome to enjoy everything except the cedar siding. They seem to understand that now.
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