Northern flickers are common residents and visitors on our Littleton farm throughout the year. But, from mid February through early April, these large woodpeckers are impossible to ignore.
Whether there is two feet of snow on the ground or warm, sunny conditions grace the Front Range urban corridor, they respond to the lengthening daylight and to hormones surging through their bodies. It is their mating season and their loud, hysterical calls echo across the farm, inviting a response from potential mates. In concert, they drum on dead tree limbs or, more effectively, on metal downspouts and roof vents, alarming homeowners in the process.
This annual rite of early spring, however loud and unsettling, is a welcome development, especially after a long, cold winter. Then again, March and April are among the snowiest months along the Front Range and the flicker rituals do not promise any noticeable change in the weather.
