Northern Flicker On The Edge of Spring ...

 “A forest bird never wants a cage.”

   ~ Henrik Ibsen

            ~ 1828 ~ 1906

I spotted this yellow-shafted Northern Flicker – the first I’ve ever captured in a photo – nestled in the grass gazing upon the looming late winter sunset of a March day at Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

According to All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill. When they fly you’ll see a flash of color in the wings – yellow if you’re in the East, red if you’re in the West – and a bright white flash on the rump.

I Know Why The Catbird Sings ...

“A forest bird never wants a cage.”

       ~ Henrik Ibsen

             ~ 1828-1906

A gray catbird sings its song on a May afternoon at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Gold Among The Milkweed ...

“A forest bird never wants a cage.”

         ~ Henrik Ibsen

        ~ 1828-1906

An American Goldfinch – also known as a wild canary – soaks up the summer while perched in the milkweed on a gorgeous late June evening at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Summer Supper ...

“A forest bird never wants a cage.”

                 ~ Henrik Ibsen

                        ~ 1828-1906

A male American goldfinch - also known as a wild canary - and a female house finch share a birdfeeder as they enjoy a summer supper on a beautiful August evening at Lehigh Gap Nature Center.

In the shadow of the Kittatinny Ridge, also called Blue Mountain, the Lehigh Gap in Slatington, Pennsylvania, is a crossroads where the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s trails connect two historic trails – the Appalachian Trail and the Delaware and Lehigh Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail). 

The Appalachian Trail, a foot path, follows the ridge on both sides of the Lehigh Gap, running 1,245 miles south to Georgia and 930 miles north to Maine. Running from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and Delaware rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.