Woodpecker Update

Well, I haven't seen the Pileated again, but I did see a female Red Bellied Wood- pecker, and this time I was able to get a shot!

You can't see the reddish blush that gives the bird it's name, but you can see the white central tail feathers that distinguish this bird from the Yellow Fronted (along with the more red instead of yellow on the head), and the gray atop the head that identifies this as a female.

Signs of Spring

We are well into the Spring season here -- rice has been planted and the preacher is praying for rain!

In our woods, the blackberries are starting to bloom









and in the fields we're seeing Scissor tailed flycatchers ... and not much else!

On the roads, however, we see all the animals who have gotten out along with the cars and trucks and met with a bad end. Yesterday, there was a large dead bird on the road -- it looked like an owl. My guess is a barred owl -- it was basically brown, and I didn't notice any "ears" -- though it's hard to tell when you're driving by.

Pileated Woodpecker

I just saw a pileated woodpecker in the yard! I was so excited, but I was also on the phone. By the time I got outside with the camera, it was out of range. Rats!

A few years ago, we had a pair that nested in the yard and raised a family. It was really cool to watch them. That was before we started taking bird pictures. I'd really like to get a shot of this awesome bird!