A large Woodpecker startled me today by flying up to the stream while I was enjoying a post-lunch cookie. He took a few sips, then flew off to perch on a large Pine. Turns out they are a Pileated Woodpecker, rare in these parts according to the Merlin bird app. And it turns out that pileated means having a crest that covers the pileum, which in turns means the top of a bird’s head, from the bill to the nape. I don’t know that the red cap here is quite that extensive, but who am I to argue with those who name birds?

The Pileated Woodpecker is about the size of a crow. Just five days ago, a Northern Flicker visited the trough, intimidating the Robin and House Finches that were already splashing around. Northern Flickers are about a third bigger than a Robin, and known as the only Woodpecker that eats ants and other insects on the ground. Almost exactly a year ago, on August 14, 2021, I spotted a tiny Downy Woodpecker on the Dogwood not far from the stream.

Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker back
Northern Flicker back
Downy Woodpecker back
Female Pileated Woodpeckers have black-and-white faces, while the males also have red “moustaches.”