1FTR
Loc: Pacific Northwest - Portland area
Explored this neighboring dead trees for 7 minutes. Left with nothing to show for efforts. No hammering and debarking today, just exploring cavities.
Excellent images of a bird that I have not had the pleasure of seeing in person. He looks like he's really checking out the place. If it were earlier in the season I would think he was a perspective home buyer.
1FTR
Loc: Pacific Northwest - Portland area
Ah, canvassing not crevicing.
One of these used to bang on a guy wire tensioned utility pole near Dad's old house. Fully creosoted pole, so no bugs. I think he liked to make the wires ring.
1FTR
Loc: Pacific Northwest - Portland area
"Sounds" like would be fun to hear. I'm convinced all woodpeckers are rappers at heart.
Great series/story here ! ........thanks for sharing
1FTR wrote:
Explored this neighboring dead trees for 7 minutes. Left with nothing to show for efforts. No hammering and debarking today, just exploring cavities.
An elusive and hard for me bird to shoot. How close do you estimate you were to him?
1FTR
Loc: Pacific Northwest - Portland area
15 ft.
Previous day, I was pond side of a trail shooting a beaver and a pileated woodpecker flew into a dead tree just the other side of the trail behind me. I head the crashing of tree bark and turned to see the bird busy feeding. (
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-696807-1.html)
This morning, I'm busy looking for wood ducks in a nesting box and the pond kingfisher and I hear and see this pileated woodpecker fly into a different pair of dead trees just off the edge of the trail some 50 ft. away. I let him get busy and then sauntered up close--shooting as I close the distance.
I find that once wildlife (not just this pileated) are busy and focused I can "encroach" on their space. I also find that birds (humming birds, canaries and others) find the beeping of my camera's range finder to be curious and calming. Unconsciously I am constantly refocusing my lens. Up until now I had not thought about that as a factor with the woodpeckers.
In my morning's look see, as another example, I heard a dim hammering in a dense bush right beside me and got pics of a sapsucker some 5 ft. away. In a way, I guess I am just lucky. However, I believe luck comes to the prepared.
1FTR wrote:
Explored this neighboring dead trees for 7 minutes. Left with nothing to show for efforts. No hammering and debarking today, just exploring cavities.
Great set of images!!!!
I really like the next to the last image!!!!
Great series. I love his exploring!
joecichjr
Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA
1FTR wrote:
Explored this neighboring dead trees for 7 minutes. Left with nothing to show for efforts. No hammering and debarking today, just exploring cavities.
A very thorough feathered investigator
Now he knows what to expect next time
Wonderful set of photos of my favorite bird. He is the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker.
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