Although I have seen several Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) in the wild, they were never close enough to photograph. And then it happened!
I spent the morning of 07 March 2016 photowalking Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve with mixed success, so I decided to stop by Huntley Meadows Park on the way home.
I was surprised to see Mike Powell‘s car in the parking lot. Mike likes to start early and knock off by mid-afternoon. We met up and checked out one of our favorite spots. More about what we saw in a follow-up post.
As we were walking out of the park, I thought I heard Southern Leopard Frogs trilling near the trail. Mike correctly recognized the sound as one of several Red-headed Woodpecker calls. Mike scanned the tree canopy and quickly spotted the woodpecker high overhead.
It was nearly impossible to find an unobstructed view of the woodpecker. Fortunately a few of my shots are good enough to share. Nothing great, but hey, it’s a start!
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Huntley Meadows Park, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, Red-headed Woodpecker, wetlands, wildlife photography
walter sanford's photoblog 
March 8, 2016 at 6:57 am |
Congratulations, Walter, on some really good shots of the elusive Red-headed Woodpecker–they really showcase the spectacular red of the woodpecker’s head. We were not that far apart as we shot, but your perspective shows that there were at least three cavities in a row–I was zoomed in so much that I never even saw the lowest one.
March 8, 2016 at 9:34 pm |
Thanks, Mike. And thanks again for spotting the Red-headed Woodpecker — I thought I’d NEVER be close enough to photograph this beautiful species of bird!
March 10, 2016 at 4:07 am |
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