My Spinning Plates

 My dad shared his love of birds with us by pointing out hawks while he was driving and then giving the hawk his full attention despite the fact that he was still driving the car down the road at 60mph. Meanwhile, the passengers of the car would be saying, “Road! Look at the road!” It was a long time before I could see a hawk soaring in the sky without going into a cold sweat. Despite the deep emotional scarring in my youth, I do enjoy birdwatching today.

I was coming over the dam on Monday morning when an osprey flew right over the car on its way back to the river. I was stoked, but I kept my eyes on the road except for a quick glance.

Later, I was in the living room when I heard the call of a Pileated Woodpecker that sounded a lot closer than usual. There it was on our maple tree. I have never been able to get a picture of one so I basically ran in circles in the living room, calling Gracie and trying to remember where my camera was. Luckily, I managed to get Gracie and the camera to the window in time.

 The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America. At 17” it is as large as a crow. I looked it up, Mom. Stop arguing with me.

One of the most interesting facts about this woodpecker is that while it hammers, its tongue is wrapped around its brain for cushioning. link

It was a cloudy day, which normally would be lamentable, but in this case it worked out well. On a sunny day, the birdbath would be in shadow and garage door behind it would be bright white, ruining the shot.