Friday, April 4, 2014

Took some time in the rain and fog to visit Maybury State Park in Northville.

Because I was wearing binoculars (in the end not a smart choice for watching nature in a dense fog) a couple of people stopped to report sightings of Pileated Woodpeckers in the wooded valley to the east of the paved trail.

Sure enough, a quarter mile after the last woman reported hearing woodpeckers, spotted the distinct large bodied bird with a teradactl-like head against the mist.

The bird moved from one dead trunk to another, but didn't make an effort to chip at the wood, though it appeared to carefully dodge behind the trunk away from my movement path until I waited still and silently until it sidled back into sight.

Not 20 feet from the original, I spotted another closer to the ground.

Both engaged in rather odd behavior, landing on bushes less than 3-feet tall, possibly because the mist made them feel more secure from predators.

My guess is I found a mating pair of woodpeckers, possibly seeking out a homestead for a new family.