A month or so ago when our friend Carolyn was here we took a walk through Skylands.

Shadows on The Avenue of Oaks taken two days ago.

We started our walk through the Avenue of Oaks. When we go to the small pond known as Duck Pond Rick spied a huge nesting box on a tree. He wondered aloud if it was for the Pileated Woodpecker that he and I had seen and heard on a previous walk in the same area. You would not be able to see the nesting box when the trees are leafed out!

(If you’re not familiar with the Pileated Woodpecker, it’s the woodpecker that Woody the Woodpecker was modeled after in the cartoon. They are beautiful, striking birds (no pun intended) but very shy.)

Just as the words were out of his mouth we heard the woodpecker … knock, knock, knock on a nearby tree. Then he let out his signature laughing call. We watched him as he flew from tree to tree. I tried to get a photo but these were the best I got on that day. Can you see him?

But here are some photos I took several years ago of one that was right on our street! I was lucky to have driven by him on my way home and he stayed there long enough for me to go home, get the camera and take these shots from the car. I don’t expect to get shots like these ever again! Pure luck!

Since the day we saw the box from the road I’ve wanted to go back and take a closer look, so the other day that’s just what I did. The minute I entered the area I heard the woodpecker. This is one busy bird and obviously very territory driven. I didn’t even try to get a photo of him as he continued to scold me as he flew from tree to tree.

The forest around his home looks like something out of the Hobbit.

I was walking around where I knew we had seen the nesting box and was just not seeing it. I had reached the end of the pond, so I turned around for a look behind me and that’s when I finally saw it on a tree right on the pond’s edge.

I needed a closer look at the reflection of the sky in the pond!

I was determined to see the nesting box from the front so I crossed over the inlet to the pond on slippery rocks and walked to the opposite side.

I’m sure they planned the entrance to the box so that people couldn’t manage to peek inside and disturb the birds. You’d have to be in the water in order to see inside! Not that I was planning on upsetting them or sticking my face next to a hole with a large-pointy beak inside of it!

It looks like a lovely place to live doesn’t it? I might just have to have a stake-out to see him closer. Anyone know how to build a bird blind?

Here is a link to a pileated on a backyard suet feeder that is worth watching for a really close-up look at this amazing bird. Watch out though at the beginning of the video—he comes in very fast!

In response to some questions, yes I did post the woodpecker pics on my blog but it was years ago. Here is the link to that post.