Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Well, as is probably quite evident to anybody who has spent any time on this blog, or who knows me personally, I am a woodpecker fanatic - just can't get enough of them. And Red-headed Woodpeckers are right up at the top of my 'favorite' list. They are such beautiful & striking birds, joined with the fact that they are completely unpredictable here in eastern New England. When one was reported to our local list-serv Saturday evening, our plans for Sunday quickly changed, in order for me to chase this wonderful bird. We were lucky that a few other birders were there when we had arrived and had located the bird several hundred yard away on the other side of the swamp. Luckily enough, the bird did eventually fly in to a closer snag, and allowed me to get the images above. An unexpected treat though, was that I spotted an immature/first year bird (which does not have the striking red head) as well. Unfortunately, it did not come any closer to get photos.(To see what an immature bird looks like, I have some photos from one last year here.)
PS - as always click on the photos to see larger versions!
To see some great bird photos from around the world, check out:
