We get a ton of flickers in our area.  This species of woodpecker is very common and the spring is the time when they love to thrum on the gutters of the houses to mark out their territory.  However, I have had a really hard time getting pictures of them.  They are very easily spooked.  We sometimes get them in the back yard poking around in the grass for food but if they even detect your movement, they are gone.

I recently had one back there and managed to get some shots through the windows of it.  Double glazing is not ideal to shoot through but you get what you can.  I also saw some in Juanita Bay Park where I was able to shoot through some branches to get a few more distant shots.  I have yet to get one flying which is a shame since there is a flash of red from the underside of the wings that I think would look great to capture.  I’ll keep trying!