This photo shows an immature woodpecker on the left and a mature male on the right. Taken near Bear Creek west of Victor, Montana USA.
Canon EOS 7D – Canon EF500mm f/4L IS USM lens on a tripod.
Manual setting, 1/1600s, f/4.0, ISO: 250, 500 mm, slightly cropped.
There were six birds in the group but this only shows two. The Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus is a species of concern in Montana partly because of loss of habitat (large enough tracts of mature forests with snags for nesting). This species is one of the largest and most memorable forest birds in North America. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers hammering at dead trees and fallen logs in search of insects like carpenter ants. They excavate unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes of these birds also provide crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.
See another RedBubble image of these two feeding
See more photos on Merle’s SmugMug site
Canon EOS 7D – Canon EF500mm f/4L IS USM lens on a tripod.
Manual setting, 1/1600s, f/4.0, ISO: 250, 500 mm, slightly cropped.
There were six birds in the group but this only shows two. The Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus is a species of concern in Montana partly because of loss of habitat (large enough tracts of mature forests with snags for nesting). This species is one of the largest and most memorable forest birds in North America. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers hammering at dead trees and fallen logs in search of insects like carpenter ants. They excavate unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes of these birds also provide crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.
See another RedBubble image of these two feedingSee more photos on Merle’s SmugMug site
