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Woodpeckers
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/overview
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Monday, May 31, 2021 was a "day to remember". Neva, Lucy and I were patrolling the Trempealau National Wildlife Refuge and already had some good shots of a Tree Swallow and a Common Blue Damselfly when I noticed a big new hole in a tree in the east loop prairie. Remembering that Pileated Woodpeckers create a new nesting hole each year I checked out the hole in the far out tree and was excited to see a red head peaking out of the hole!
I quickly ran the back of the Highlander to set up my "big lens" the Nikon 200-500 on the tripod to get the best shots that I could and took a couple at 500mm from the road of the chick poking it's head out the hole.
I slowly worked my way up to the tree through the prairie grass to about 30 yards away so I could be a better closeup.
Then the Mother Pileated called from the woods behind me and out popped two heads and called back!
Then I got a some "shots of a lifetime" !!
500mm 1/640 sec f/8.0 ISO 1000 (Nikon 200-500 Zoom)
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker (The bill is 1/2 as large as the head
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: For more images and a great closeup video go the Sapsucker page.
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