Some of you may know, I work in the woods. It's so quite and comforting out here in the forest and I get to see many different type of wildlife. I've seen deer, owls, hawks, lizards, snakes and even a fox. But, the hardest creature to capture on photo has been Woody. Woody is my woodpecker and she is a big one! I think she's a she because today I also got to see two babies in the trees near her. Anywho, here she is pecking away. She's got a beautiful bright red head. Can't wait to see her babies grow up.
Updated to add information about Woody:
Pileated Woodpecker
The largest variety of woodpecker is the Pileated Woodpecker ranging from 16-19 inches long. Male adults are identified by a red Mohawk; both male and female have a red Mohawk (crest) on the top of their heads, but the male is distinguished by a red cheek pad. The female does not have red coloring in this area. The Pileated woodpecker can also be identified by their black body, black and white stripes on the facial area, a white strip from their bill to the their neck and beady yellow eyes. Pileated woodpeckers make their habitat in coniferous forests with large trees found in southern Canada, the Midwestern and eastern parts of the United States, the pacific coast and the northern Rockies. They eat carpenter ants, wood boring beetle larvae, fruit and nuts. Pileated woodpeckers produce 4-6 eggs in nests found in dead tree with a cavity lined with wood chips. An interesting fact about these woodpeckers is that they dig rectangular holes in trees so deep that it might cause small trees to break in half. Male and female Pileated woodpeckers stay together as a pair in their territory all year long.
