Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker October 2026
 

What an I Missing?

 1:00 to 2:30pm, 60 Degrees, Clear, Wind 6mph S, Bar 30.42 fall

How much do I miss? I could have easily missed this Pileated Woodpecker. I usually am looking over The Bog and not across Fall Brook. I do spin around from time to time. Today,  I saw this beauty. I saw it fly onto a tree and was just in awe. This picture really do not do the bird justice. It was there for maybe a minute. Moved to three or four trees and was gone. No calls or songs. Merlin was none the wiser. It is amazing what can be missed while still being fully present. 

I brought peanuts down for the Blue Jays. Today, they saw them almost immediately. I sit with a bush in between myself and the feeder. It was interesting to watch the different flight paths they took to the feeder. Quite a few flew below the island. Down low in the dry run. They were mostly out of sight on this path. Most flew around and behind trees to the Buckthorn and then down to the feeder. The Tufted Titmice also came in for the peanuts. 

I was able to get some good views of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. What a beautiful head they have. Birds were active for most of my time in The Little Forrest. So much going on. At the end of my sit the squirrels were calling alarms across the brook. Who knows what will come next.

Merlin Identified 19 species. I saw 9 of those. Plus I saw the Pileated Woodpecker. I think the mallard was a false reading. It identified a Snow Bunting. A little early for them. Who knows? 

Small Victories

 9:30 to 10:30am, 45 Degrees, Clear, Wind 4mph W, Bar 30.49 even

Yesterday was the first time in a good while that Merlin did not hear Carolina Wren. What a difference a day makes. I got some really good looks at a pair of them this morning. They were just on the other side of Fall Brook. A month ago I doubt I could have seen the wren on this dead tree. There would have been too many leaves in between. Also, On the way out I saw one way up the gulley, near where I used to sit. It is the first time I saw one up there. it will take a lot of time to learn the movements and habits of my more than human friends. 

I sometimes confuse the calls of the White-breasted Nuthatch with the Tufted Titmouse. They both have very guttural sounds. Today I heard a tufty call and new it. Then saw a bird fly from across the brook, over the bog, and up to the feeder at Number 2. I new it was the tufty. Confirmed on the feeder. A small victory! I love the little moments were I know I am right and then get actual confirmation. It just takes time and paying attention. Practice makes progress. 

I have come a long way since I read Jon Young's What the Robin Knows. I have learned a lot by sitting and paying attention. What I have learned the most is just how much I do not know. Maybe I do not realize that I know less than that!

Merlin Identified 20 species. I saw 9 of those. I also saw a Northern Flicker and a hawk. I believe it was a Coopers Hawk. Flying fast over The Little Forrest. It must have landed not to far out of sight judging by the Blue Jays calls. They were none to happy with a hawk being there.

What ?

 1:30 to 3:00pm, 56 Degrees, Sunny, Wind 7mph N, Bar 30.24 even

What do you know for sure? I had myself convinced the Blue Jays were scouting for peanuts. I brought peanuts today. The jays did not come into the feeder for them. I still believe they have checked for them. It has been a week or so, since I brought some. 

Felt a little quiet this afternoon. Lots of jays flying about. A flock of Robins were around the entire time. Some Black-capped Chickadees came into the feeder. However it was not a whole flock of them. It is something when a large flock comes in. Sometimes they are referred to as a banditry of chickadees. When a large group of bandits raids the feeder it is wild!

Merlin Identified 18 species. I saw 9 species. I definitely saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler. I have been pretty sure before. It was across the brook and mostly behind leaves. White-throated Sparrow above. 

More will be revealed

 3:00 to 4:00pm, 62 Degrees, Clear, Wind 11mph N, Bar 29.93 even

Going down the gully to the sit spot American Robins were everywhere. They were not happy I was walking through. Going through the bog, birds were active and flying about. So nice to see that kind of activity. The battery for my camera was dead. Walked out to get a new one. Birds were still active! However things got quiet in a hurry. I think my second coming was not appreciated. Still, I saw a lot of activity. 

A Red-bellied Woodpecker came very near. Lower in the trees than normal. Always behind a branch or dancing to the far side of a trunk. Still, some nice looks. I saw a Northern Flicker the second time I crossed the bog. Way more Blue Jay activity than usual. Or at least more around me. I must get more peanuts for them. Some were moving a few feet off the ground just on the other side of the brook. Not sure what it was. Just new activity for me. If I spend more time in The Little Forrest, more will be revealed.

Merlin Identified 13 species. I saw 11. Well above average for me. 

Practice

12:30 to 2:00pm, 58 Degrees, Sunny, Wind 9mphW, Bar 30.24 fall

It is all practice. All we are doing is practicing being human. I have been practicing sitting in the woods, being human. Sometimes at Kripalu you will hear folks say "Human-being is a verb not a noun. Having sat for a while in The Little Forrest, it seems like I am not learning much at this point. However, I am learning things I am not noticing. Perhaps, I am getting faster at recognizing birds. At a pace just too slow to notice. Daily practices are like that. Sometimes, it feels as if I am going backwards. Practice makes progress! 

A Carolina Wren took a direct  route to the feeder from across Fall Brook. When I am there they have taken a route that crosses the brook south of me. Then move through the brush on the other side of the dry run. The Tufted Titmice were flying a route that went between myself and the Buckthorn and up to the feeder at Number 2. They usually take a route around me. The past couple of days Northern Cardinals have been in the Buckthorn when I was down there. Perhaps, my more than human friends are getting used to my being in The Little Forrest. 

Merlin Identified 16 species. I saw 11. A really good percentage for me! Swamp Sparrow was new. Hopefully, I can get a picture as they come through. I saw a song sparrow and no matter how hard I tried to will it to be a swamp sparrow, it remained a song sparrow.

 

Slow

 8:30 to 9:30am, 43 Degrees, Clear Skies, Wind 3mph SW, Bar 30.51 even

A beautiful fall morning in the Little Forrest. I think I saw my first bird at twenty six minutes. The birds were hiding. The Carolina Wrens were singing up a storm somewhere on the other side of Fall Brook. Towards the end of my sit the Black-capped Chickadees and White-throated Sparrows made a good bit of noise and went silent. Amazing how different an day or hour can make. The Blue Jay above was wondering where the peanuts are. 

Merlin Identified 21 species. I saw 7. Fox sparrow is new. Also, it has the red dot. It appears it is a bit early for them. Also, killdeer which was probably not there. The rest are regular visitors. Just out of sight today.