Autumn Is Near - Pileated Woodpecker

Last night was cold, but today is back to the summer again.   A little bit chilly breeze could tell that autumn's returning soon.   Some of the summer birds must have already begun the journey back to the south.   We decided to return to the mountain nature park nearby to see any changes.

A sign of the fall in the colorful leaves

 

Guess who I got to see for the first time.  Someone was hiding the face on the tree trunk up there.   A big red hairdo....

I have seen you in a bird book, but haven't seen you till now.

This is the Pileated Woodpecker; not having the red on the forehead is a female.

One of my field guides tells me that this is the crow-sized, largest woodpecker.  It excavates long oval holes in tree trunks, searching for insects, especially carpenter ants.  It can come to the suet feeder, but prefers to stay in large tracts of woodland.

Out in the park, many fall berries birds love to eat were found:

 Oregon Grape

  Snowberry

  Rose Hips

Enjoy the nature's bounties, everyone.