Although the temperature was 20 degrees (minus 7 degrees C) and the wind was blowing yesterday afternoon, I got fooled into thinking the bright sunshine would warm me up a bit. Most of the creatures at the marsh were absent from view, probably trying to keep warm in sheltered locations.
I was excited, therefore, when I head the unmistakable sound of a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) at work nearby as I was walking along a path. No other woodpeckers in our area can match the volume of a Pileated Woodpecker when it is burying its bill into a tree.
I managed to locate the woodpecker and was a little disappointed that it was high in a tree in a location where it was obscured by lots of branches. Eventually the woodpecker climbed higher in the tree and I was able to get a few relatively unobstructed shots, although I had to take them at a pretty sharp angle.
My favorite shot is the one in which the woodpecker looks like it is stalking a prey at the top of the tree. Its eyes are fixed on the target and it seems to be trying to sneak up on it. In reality, I have no idea what the woodpecker was doing, but it made for an unusual pose.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
We just saw one of these yesterday here in Florida! Love your post and so glad I saw it. Nice shot! I wanted to paint one …
PS I heard it pecking away this morning!
Great shots, Mike. Keep warm! M 🙂
You’re lucky that it let you get these shots. They usually creep around and around the tree when I’m trying to get photos of them.
This woodpecker was moving, but I was pretty fortunate when it moved into an open area on the tree where branches did not block my view.