Big Bird!

No, not the same Big Bird that was "maligned" by one of the candidates in our just-ended presidential election. This Big Bird is a pileated woodpecker, known to cartoon fans as the Woody Woodpecker bird. I know there was one in our park, probably even a pair, and I have been keeping my eyes and ears open, hoping for a sighting. About four weeks ago I caught a glimpse of one, but it didn't hang around for a photo opp. And then today, I got my chance. Walking down the trail past the parking lot, I heard a man holler at me. He was just getting into his car to leave the park when he spotted me with my camera, and he shouted, "Pileated woodpecker," and pointed at a clump of trees and underbrush I was walking by. He left his car and came to where I was standing to tell me he had been watching this bird for the last 15 minutes. Then, patting me on the shoulder, he said, "Good luck!" and went back to his car.

The search was on! Eventually I heard it. When you hear a bird this large, hammering on a tree, there's no mistaking the sound. I pinpointed the source, and for the next five or ten minutes, followed him from tree to tree to tree, hoping to get a good enough angle for a blip. I don't know the man who gave me the tip, but hopefully I'll get a chance to thank him soon.