Pileated Woodpecker

"Keep your faith in beautiful things;
in the sun when it is hidden,
in the Spring when it is gone."
- Roy R. Gibson

I haven't posted anything for a few weeks now since things have been pretty quiet in the backyard. As we all know, good things are worth the wait and today was one of them. We were honored with a new visitor ... a Pileated Woodpecker! This bird is common in woodland areas in the Southeast and we have seen them many times at my in-law's farm in coastal Mississippi; however, never in my own backyard. This guy is BIG....a good 16" long. He was very busy at this stump in the far corner of the woodland garden. That is a good distance from the back deck were my husband took the photo (I was busy watching it with the binoculars). I had to really zoom in on this photo to get him in the shot and therefore it is not in focus but you can get an idea of how big this bird is. This was a real treat for us and we hope that he will be back and we will see more of him.