American Three-toed Woodpecker

Taken two weeks ago (1 December 2014) in Fish Creek Park. After calling in at Votier’s Flats just before noon, I then drove over to Bebo Grove to see if there was any sign of the Barred Owl – no there wasn't and two other people had looked and been unsuccessful. I did see this male American Three-toed Woodpecker, though, which is always a treat, especially as it is a rare species in Alberta. I love the bright yellow feathers that only the males have.

This photo shows a tree that has had a lot of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the small pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently.

"The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker

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Today, 16 December 2014, is the first Christmas Bird Count out of the city. We have to be down SE, ready to start the Count by 8:00 am. We end around 4:00 pm (maybe 4:30 pm), so it's a long day of searching. Just checked the weather forecast and found the following:

“FOG ADVISORY. Persistent fog with visibility near zero is expected or occurring. Fog is becoming more widespread and is expanding westward. Many locations are reporting low visibilities this evening with near zero visibilities expected to develop tonight. As the fog continues to develop additional regions may be added to the advisory. Fog will be occurring with temperatures below freezing which may result in locally slippery conditions due to freezing fog. Fog will persist into Tuesday morning. Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations. If travelling, be prepared for areas of near zero visibility.” Lol, sounds like perfect birding weather – yeah, right!