Last weekend, Pamela and I took a ride to find Bohemian Waxwings (a venture in which we were successful in seeing the birds, but unfortunately, no photos.) After seeing the waxwings and enjoying a nice lunch, we took a more scenic route home. While driving and chatting, I noted a large bird out of the corner of my eye fly up to a pole on a power-line cut. At the size it was and the fact there there were no horizontal perches in the vicinity, I knew right away it had to be a Pileated Woodpecker. (And frankly, if you hadn't picked up on it by looking at the layout of this page, these are easily my favorite bird in North America, so I am pretty attuned to them.) A quick u-turn and pulling off the road got us some ok looks before flying a little further off. I grabbed the camera and decided to walk up the road to see what I could get for pic. The bird called a few times, and then I heard another bird call back from where we parked. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a second bird fly to the same wood pole where we'd seen the first bird. There were plenty of sizable holes, so figuring that they'd be staying close, I wandered back, and was treated to having both the male and female, hitching up and down a few different poles poking their heads into various cavities, and all in good light.
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13 comments:
Beautiful shot!
Gorgeous shots of the Pileated Woodpecker Christopher! This has to be one of my favorite woodpeckers but I rarely get to see it and have still not gotten a decent shot of it. Do you think this pair is looking for a nesting site?
Thanks Nina!
Thank you Larry! I think that this pair has probably nested in the area in the past (there were at least 6-7 cavities, and probably more)so I suspect that they are planning on doing so again. Couldn't locate a cavity that seemed fresh, but it could have been on the back of one of the wood poles or snags a little further way.
Outstanding shots, Christopher. As Larry said, this is a favorite that I rarely get to see. You got some amazing photos here, especially those in-flight shots. Beautiful light and color, crisp detail. Great job!
Thanks Kyle! For such a large striking bird, it is amazing how difficult they can be to see in some places. (And then in several places in Florida they are a daily sighting!!)
I have to admit, I am pretty happy with these in-flight shots myself!
Gorgeous in-flight shots. I'm working on in-flight photography and still have a way to go! Great job!
Terrific shots! Despite missing out on the Bohemians it was your lucky day after all!
Terrific photos. I rarely get Pileated to cooperate in sunlight! Congrats.
How exciting! I have been hoping to get a good view of these beauties for quite awhile. Always distant views. I can see why they are your favorite bird. Good eye, ears and photos!
Very nice series! Is the first one with the red "mustache" the male or the female?
Thank you all!!
@Dreamfalcon - good eyes! The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th photos are of the female. The 1st, 5th and 6th with the red malar stripe or 'mustache' is the male.
Good pictures. I get the impression that pileateds are more plentiful than they used to be. I used to see them every once in a while, but my sightings have gone up every year for 6 or 7 years running. Here in my home state (FL) it is now more common for me to see a pileated during a walk in the woods than it is for me to not see one.
Hey John - thanks for the compliment. It seems to me that the further north you travel, the more skittish Pileated WPs seem to be, and harder to find. I have no problem finding them when I am in Florida. (I think on our last trip in Feb, we had them almost every day of the trip.) Here in New England, they tend to prefer to be further away from civilization, and less vocal outside of the breeding season.
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