We're not in Florida any longer, but the blog hasn't caught up yet.
Even though it was super hot the last week we were in the Canal Cottage -- and even though we were really busy closing things up for the season -- I still walked early every morning before it got too hot. And there were still great photo-ops.
One day, I caught this handsome Pileated Woodpecker hanging out (literally) in a carrotwood tree.
That tree is an invasive species for the area (this link). When we first came to Fort Myers we saw them everywhere. Now most of them have been removed. But I still think it is quite a pretty tree.
The canal streets in our RV Park in Florida are out-and-back walks. No round trip because the streets end at the entrance to the River. This carrot tree is in a yard on the lower end of one of those streets. I took the top picture going up and the bottom two coming back. Just before sunrise, the sky was flat white (as in the top picture), but a few minutes later, on the return walk, the blue was beginning to show.
A couple of days later I saw a different Pileated hopping along a road in the Park. I think this one might be a female because the red stripe on the cheek isn't so obvious. It was rather unusual to see one of these birds on the ground and I was a little worried. She was gone when I passed this spot again, so I hope she flew up to where she belongs.
There are still a few more un-blogged photos from Florida -- of birds and other subjects.
A good thing too, because we are busy catching up and getting organized on this side of the country.
Good times, but not necessarily good photo ops.
They will come eventually!
I will be linking this post to these memes later: Eileen's SATURDAY CRITTERS; Anni's I'D RATHER B'BIRDING; Michelle's NATURE NOTES; and Monica's TREES AND BUSHES. Thank you for hosting ladies!!
What wonderful captures of the Pileated Woodpecker! Wow! (Those rascals are too quick for me. haha!)
Hope you two are having an enjoyable summer. Thanks for stopping by to comment on my blog recently. I'm still mostly on a hiatus from it as 'life' is just really busy at present.
All the best,
Lindy
Posted by: Lindy | August 05, 2015 at 07:32 AM
What a lovely creature! Great photos.
Posted by: bettyl - NZ | July 16, 2015 at 03:47 AM
Magnificent captures♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/applications/
Posted by: Laurie Kazmierczak | July 14, 2015 at 11:28 AM
How cool to find this splendid Woodie close by.
Posted by: Frank (UK) | July 14, 2015 at 10:39 AM
Dearest Sallie; What an amazing scene of handsome(cute) Pileated Woodpecker hanging out in a carrotwood tree♡♡♡ My husband and I both smiled seeing this colorful woodpecker; after had to walk a bit today (little hard for him) and making soba soup for tomorrow, he looked tired but happy to see his smile to the first cute picture p:-)
So sorry for my belated comment. I'll try to be you blog tommorow, Night Night from Japan, Dear friend.
Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*
Posted by: orchid | July 14, 2015 at 05:19 AM
wonderful images of the pileated woodpecker.
Posted by: Felicia | July 13, 2015 at 05:44 PM
Wow, stupendous shots of the Pileated! So far this is an bird elusive to my camera. Hope you get settled soon.
Posted by: Gail Dixon | July 13, 2015 at 12:36 PM
Great photos of Woody Woodpecker. We have many of them around. Here. One day I saw five of them humping a tree. I think it must have been a family!
Posted by: Dianne | July 13, 2015 at 08:13 AM
What fabulous photos! It's so hard to get so many different poses. I love to see the birds of Florida! Hugs, Diane
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | July 12, 2015 at 05:34 PM
Oh what a handsome fellow he is!
Posted by: Florence | July 12, 2015 at 03:53 PM
Splendid shots!
Posted by: Stephanie's Images | July 12, 2015 at 11:31 AM
What a beautiful bird! I have never seen one of these in person but we get the red-bellied ones around here. Great photos!
Posted by: Debby Ray | July 12, 2015 at 10:57 AM
Fascinating photos!
Have a lovely new week!
Posted by: Sara - My Woodland Garden | July 12, 2015 at 09:45 AM
Wonderful photos of this beautiful woodpecker. Enjoy your Sunday!
Posted by: Gunilla | July 12, 2015 at 03:55 AM
I love the pileated woodpecker shots! They look like pets for Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble! We have them up here and I see them occasionally. They make an interesting call. Nice photos!
Posted by: cranberrymorning | July 12, 2015 at 02:39 AM
I would love to see a Pileated Woodpecker. You got some nice shots. I really like that first one. What a spectacular bird.
Posted by: Pat | July 11, 2015 at 08:00 PM
Well one! They are amazing birds.
Posted by: Jenn Jilks | July 11, 2015 at 04:07 PM
Fantastic photos of the Pileated Woodpecker! for Critters!
Happy Weekend to you,
artmusedog and carol
Posted by: artmusedog and carol | July 11, 2015 at 02:12 PM
this woodpecker has a really special coloring. It looks like somebody painted it. Loved to see the ground images :)
Posted by: NatureFootstep | July 11, 2015 at 01:36 PM
Beautiful Woodpecker photos!
Woodpeckers do search the ground for beetles, ants, and other insects, so maybe that is what she is doing. And sometimes they eat seeds that fall to the ground.
Have a great week-end!
Posted by: Lea | July 11, 2015 at 01:13 PM
Very pretty. I'm so far behind on my blogging, I have a couple of hundred photos in my to-blog folder!
Posted by: Al | July 11, 2015 at 11:27 AM
Fab photos. Never heard of that kind of tree.
Posted by: Carol Ann | July 11, 2015 at 11:23 AM
Oh boy...where do I begin?!!! I will begin with "I am so envious"!!!! Wow...this is one woodpecker on my list of "Must see". Did I mention I'm green with envy? ALL the photos are fabulous...simply fabulous.
thanks for sharing them with me.
Posted by: Hootin' Anni & Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin' | July 11, 2015 at 11:18 AM
marvelous pics of this cute bird, Sally!I didn't know they were so small till I saw one in my yard. Hope you soon will get used to your new environment and time change!
Posted by: jesh stg | July 11, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Awesome shots of the Pileated. Really neat to get to see them so close.
Posted by: Marie-AZ | July 11, 2015 at 09:37 AM
The Pileated Woodpecker is the one bird I really regret missing on my 2 visits to Long Point Ontario. They were around the area but I never connected - such is the life of a birder.Should have gone to Florida.
Posted by: Phil | July 11, 2015 at 08:17 AM
Pileated Woodpeckers are so spectacular. They tend to be shy, too, good job getting these shots!
I think they are both makes, the ladies don't have a red whisker (malar) stripe at all.
~
Posted by: ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© | July 11, 2015 at 07:43 AM
I love woodpeckers. Amazing that she let you get so close. She's pretty big!
Posted by: Halcyon | July 11, 2015 at 07:04 AM
That really is one stunning woodpecker.
Posted by: Gaelyn | July 11, 2015 at 05:39 AM
Invasive can be a challenge but it appears to be a very attractive tree.
Great shots of the woodpeckers.
Posted by: Gayle | July 11, 2015 at 05:25 AM
I seldom see a Pileated Woodpecker so viewing yours that you took was very nice indeed. Glad you are home and getting settled back in. Looking forward to seeing a lot more of your Fla. time.
Posted by: Latane Barton | July 11, 2015 at 03:25 AM
Hello Sallie, I do love your Pileated Woodie. I am just stopping back to say thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy weekend!
Posted by: Eileen | July 11, 2015 at 02:54 AM
that forsst shotsis fabulous. A wonderful bird to see. Only the male has red whisker (malar) stripe on face, the female does not so these are all males. Have a lovely weekend.
Posted by: Margaret Birding For Pleasure | July 10, 2015 at 10:58 PM
Life is to catch up things.
It is a marathon.
Posted by: rainfield | July 10, 2015 at 08:42 PM
Wonderful shots of wood pecker in action.
Posted by: Rajesh | July 10, 2015 at 07:12 PM
Cool shots of the pileated! Nice they live in your neighborhood. I usually have to hike through some woods to find them here. I have seen them on the ground before but it's usually because they are getting water.
Posted by: Dina Johnston | July 10, 2015 at 05:59 PM
I haven't seen a pileated woodpecker since we moved to town - I think they are qwuite spectacular when going about their business. Noisey, too.
Posted by: Hildred Finch | July 10, 2015 at 05:02 PM
I never heard of a carrot wood tree. Love the woodpecker
Posted by: Ramblingwoods | July 10, 2015 at 04:15 PM
Wonderful shots!! Even tho the tree is invasive it is giving food to critters...ITS really hot now so be glad you
re on the other coast...
Posted by: Sondra-SC | July 10, 2015 at 03:26 PM
What fun shots! I don't recall seeing one of these birds in this area, but that doesn't mean anything 'cause sometimes I don't see any birds at all. :)
Re this tree: It reminds me a bit of the kumquat trees that grew in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Some of the golfers would stop and pick and eat the berries. I thought they were nuts but I didn't know squat about kumquats!
Posted by: Lowell | July 10, 2015 at 02:52 PM
I have only every seen a pileated woodpecker once, and it has been years and I never did get a decent photo. Yours are great :)
Posted by: DeniseinVA | July 10, 2015 at 02:39 PM
We still like seeing your life back there in Florida and look forward to seeing your days in the NorthWest!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Posted by: Linda | July 10, 2015 at 12:20 PM
love the pileated. on the ground they look as goofy as a roadrunner. :) i hear a pileated laughing here this morning.
good luck with all your chores!
Posted by: TexWisGirl | July 10, 2015 at 05:53 AM
I've only seen a pileated woodpecker once, and I sure wasn't able to grab my camera in time to get pictures, so I enjoyed your photos even more, knowing how tricky they are to get them.
Posted by: Clair Z. | July 10, 2015 at 05:30 AM
Hello Sallie, awesome captures of the Pileated Woodie! One of my favorite birds. Glad you are having good times. Have a happy weekend!
Posted by: Eileen | July 10, 2015 at 02:40 AM
Nice shots - I have been lucky enough to see this bird a couple of times on trips to the States - I got very excited when I saw them!!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Posted by: Stewart M | July 10, 2015 at 01:37 AM
That made me giggle...the blog hasn't caught up yet. He sure is a handsome bird.
Posted by: diane | July 10, 2015 at 12:19 AM
What an incredible bird! Love it:) I have never heard of the carrot tree before...I'll have to research it a bit.
Blessings, Aimee
Posted by: Aimee | July 09, 2015 at 10:49 PM
That woodpecker is a beauty Sally, good you saw it and could get in on your photo,s. Great shots all of them.
Posted by: Riet | July 09, 2015 at 09:28 PM
What lovely shots of the bird!
Posted by: Lady Fi | July 09, 2015 at 08:25 PM
What a beauty of a bird, Sallie. Good catches and good for you for walking despite the heat!
Posted by: ellen b | July 09, 2015 at 07:42 PM
That bird is hanging from that branch - good thing the branch was strong enough.
I have never heard of a Carrotwood Tree, but I say the head dress of the Pileated Woodpecker matches the Carrot theme, if that makes sense.
Great photos of both the woodpeckers, Sallie!
Sorry I misspelled your name yesterday!
Have a Beautiful Day!!
Namaste :)
Posted by: Chandra | July 09, 2015 at 07:31 PM
Such exciting shots! Wow! They are all great photos, Sallie, but, that top one is most excellent.
Posted by: Penny | July 09, 2015 at 06:58 PM