Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Piciformes

I'm not getting much time to get out and take photos and also the weather has been dull and sometimes rainy. So, once again, back to my archives. This photo was taken on 4 December 2014, when I went for a short walk in Fish Creek Park. The weather had been beautiful that week, but we all knew that it was going to change back to “winter” before too long. Also, a short time in the park can (if you are lucky!) be simply amazing. I happened to come across this female Pileated Woodpecker near the base of a tree. Almost impossible to get a sharp photo because she just didn’t stop banging her head against the tree. While I was trying to catch one split second when the action actually slowed down, a much smaller bird flew over my head and landed on the same tree, about 4’ higher. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that it was a male Black-backed Woodpecker (rare in Alberta, just like the two American Three-toed Woodpeckers that I saw in a different part of the park, on two different days this week). Talk about being lucky! I returned to the same area the next afternoon, thinking it would be nice to try and get some better shots. Well, there was no sign of either species, of course - in fact, very few birds of any kind. I did see a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers high up on two of the tallest trees, and there were a few ever-present Black-capped Chickadees. “Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So how do their heads not turn to mush? Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. "If you get hit hard in the head, you can break blood vessels behind the eye or traumatize nerves behind eye," said University of California Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab. ‘Seeing patients in car accidents and knowing what woodpeckers do made me wonder why these injuries don't happen in woodpeckers.’ Last fall, Schwab was honored with an Ig Nobel award, the irreverent version of the Nobel Prize, for his research on how woodpeckers avoid headaches, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Along with their straight-as-an-arrow strikes at the tree, which safeguards against head trauma, birds' bodies are designed to absorb the impact. One millisecond before a strike comes across the bill, dense muscles in the neck contract, and the bird closes its thick inner eyelid. Some of the force radiates down the neck muscles and protects the skull from a full blow. A compressible bone in the skull offers cushion, too. Meanwhile, the bird's closed eyelid shields the eye from any pieces of wood bouncing off the tree and holds the eyeball in place. The eyelid acts like a seat belt and keeps the eye from literally popping out of the head," Schwab told LiveScience. "Otherwise, acceleration would tear the retina." The outside portion of the eye itself is firm, filled with blood to support the retina from being jostled around. Bird brains also remain rigid during head banging. Injuries to the human head make our brains bounce back and forth in the cerebral spinal fluid, bathing the organ, but woodpeckers have virtually none of this fluid. While scientists can't be certain that woodpeckers don't get headaches, Schwab pointed out that the birds are at least very tolerant of headaches.” From Science on NBC News, 1 August 2007. www.nbcnews.com/id/16531772/ns/technology_and_science-sci...

These Woodpeckers are huge and so impressive - almost prehistoric looking! When the sun shines through that red crest, it glows! “Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So how do their heads not turn to mush? Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. "If you get hit hard in the head, you can break blood vessels behind the eye or traumatize nerves behind eye," said University of California Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab. ‘Seeing patients in car accidents and knowing what woodpeckers do made me wonder why these injuries don't happen in woodpeckers.’ Last fall, Schwab was honored with an Ig Nobel award, the irreverent version of the Nobel Prize, for his research on how woodpeckers avoid headaches, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Along with their straight-as-an-arrow strikes at the tree, which safeguards against head trauma, birds' bodies are designed to absorb the impact. One millisecond before a strike comes across the bill, dense muscles in the neck contract, and the bird closes its thick inner eyelid. Some of the force radiates down the neck muscles and protects the skull from a full blow. A compressible bone in the skull offers cushion, too. Meanwhile, the bird's closed eyelid shields the eye from any pieces of wood bouncing off the tree and holds the eyeball in place. The eyelid acts like a seat belt and keeps the eye from literally popping out of the head," Schwab told LiveScience. "Otherwise, acceleration would tear the retina." The outside portion of the eye itself is firm, filled with blood to support the retina from being jostled around. Bird brains also remain rigid during head banging. Injuries to the human head make our brains bounce back and forth in the cerebral spinal fluid, bathing the organ, but woodpeckers have virtually none of this fluid. While scientists can't be certain that woodpeckers don't get headaches, Schwab pointed out that the birds are at least very tolerant of headaches.” From Science on NBC News, 1 August 2007. www.nbcnews.com/id/16531772/ns/technology_and_science-sci... We saw this one yesterday, 27 October 2015, down in Fish Creek Park, during a three-hour walk from Bebo Grove to Shannon Terrace and back. It was a sunny day, calm, 2-6°C. Also saw a second Pileated. Neither were close, hence this rather distant shot that leaves rather a lot to be desired : ) It gives you an idea, though, of the habitat these breathtaking birds live in. The following is the final list of species seen, compiled by the leaders of the groups: Canada Goose-40+ Swan sp., -14 Merlin-1 Downy Woodpecker-8 Hairy Woodpecker-4 AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER-3 Northern Flicker-1 Pileated Woodpecker-2+ Blue Jay-10 Black-billed Magpie-15 Common Raven-6+ Black-capped Chickadee-50+ BOREAL CHICKADEE-2 Red-breasted Nuthatch-15 White-breasted Nuthatch-3 Brown Creeper-3 Golden-crowned Kinglet-2 Townsend’s Solitaire-2 American Robin-8 Pine Grosbeak-5+ House Finch-6 Red Crossbill-8 White-winged Crossbill-30+ Common Redpoll-3 Pine Siskin-10+ Red Squirrel-18 White-tailed Deer-1 Mule Deer-4

Yesterday morning, 17 September 2015, I went with friends on a walk that started (after the first heavy frost of the season overnight) at the Bow Valley Ranch area in Fish Creek Park. No sign of the Great Horned Owl pair. We then drove to the end of the park road, to walk in the Boat Launch area. Perhaps the highlight of the morning was seeing this very distant female Pileated Woodpecker, plus 35 American White Pelicans and 20 Double-crested Cormorants and all "the usual". After the walk, I decided to drive SW of the city and SW of Millarville. A few years ago, after a day of botanizing someone's land, we called in (with permission) at a nearby field to see a wonderful display of Amanita mushrooms. We don't get the red ones (Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria) with small white spots here, but we have seen bright yellow ones and sometimes even an almost orange one, with small white spots/flecks. I think I have only ever seen these three times - at West Bragg Creek, Rod Handfield's land and this field near to his land, and I think Marsden Creek in Kananaskis. I was so longing to see one again and thought it was worth the drive just to check. Well, I found the field easily, but had forgotten about the sign there that said No Trespassing, No Shooting, Patrol Area. I wasn't sure what Patrol Area meant, but I could almost imagine several Dobermans being released to attack me! I never go anywhere that has a No Trespassing sign, anyway. So, I walked through the trees along the edge of the field and tried to peer into the field, being careful not to catch the barbed-wire fence. I caught sight of a cluster of three fungi that looked like they were Amanitas, though they were fully "opened" and I couldn't see any spots. Got one lousy photo, but I did want to add it to my album and maybe it will be enough for ID confirmation or correction sometime? It was a lovely, sunny day yesterday, with a high of 15C, and the scenery I drove through was beautiful. Thankfully, the orange Engine Warning light didn't come on in my car at all. Next time it does come on, I have to take the car to be checked again and hopefully they can find a code that will tell them what is causing this problem. They couldn't find any codes when they had my car a few days ago, which is frustrating.

This photo was taken on 4 December 2014, when I went for a short walk in Fish Creek Park. The weather had been beautiful that week, but we all knew that it was going to change back to “winter” before too long. Also, a short time in the park can (if you are lucky!) be simply amazing. I happened to come across this female Pileated Woodpecker near the base of a tree. Almost impossible to get a sharp photo because she just didn’t stop banging her head against the tree. While I was trying to catch one split second when the action actually slowed down, a much smaller bird flew over my head and landed on the same tree, about 4’ higher. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that it was a male Black-backed Woodpecker (rare in Alberta, just like the two American Three-toed Woodpeckers that I saw in a different part of the park, on two different days this week). Talk about being lucky! “Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So how do their heads not turn to mush? Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. "If you get hit hard in the head, you can break blood vessels behind the eye or traumatize nerves behind eye," said University of California Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab. ‘Seeing patients in car accidents and knowing what woodpeckers do made me wonder why these injuries don't happen in woodpeckers.’ Last fall, Schwab was honored with an Ig Nobel award, the irreverent version of the Nobel Prize, for his research on how woodpeckers avoid headaches, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Along with their straight-as-an-arrow strikes at the tree, which safeguards against head trauma, birds' bodies are designed to absorb the impact. One millisecond before a strike comes across the bill, dense muscles in the neck contract, and the bird closes its thick inner eyelid. Some of the force radiates down the neck muscles and protects the skull from a full blow. A compressible bone in the skull offers cushion, too. Meanwhile, the bird's closed eyelid shields the eye from any pieces of wood bouncing off the tree and holds the eyeball in place. The eyelid acts like a seat belt and keeps the eye from literally popping out of the head," Schwab told LiveScience. "Otherwise, acceleration would tear the retina." The outside portion of the eye itself is firm, filled with blood to support the retina from being jostled around. Bird brains also remain rigid during head banging. Injuries to the human head make our brains bounce back and forth in the cerebral spinal fluid, bathing the organ, but woodpeckers have virtually none of this fluid. While scientists can't be certain that woodpeckers don't get headaches, Schwab pointed out that the birds are at least very tolerant of headaches.” From Science on NBC News, 1 August 2007. www.nbcnews.com/id/16531772/ns/technology_and_science-sci...

Feeling totally lethargic after Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I finally made myself go to Fish Creek Park two afternoons ago, on 27 December 2014. A few people had been seeing a fist-sized or popcan-sized Northern Pygmy-Owl recently and so I thought I'd go and see if anyone else was there and if they had found this tiny owl. In fact, there were two people there who were looking at the owl, perched way in the distance near the top of a very tall coniferous tree. It flew to another tall coniferous and to a tall, dead tree. The word "tall" is never a good word when it comes to searching for one of these tiny owls, lol. However, I was just thrilled to bits to see it at all. I think my first photos of this owl species were taken on 6 December 2007, At one point, the owl flew off and disappeared. We started walking in the rough direction that we thought it might have flown and stopped in our tracks when we heard a Pileated Woodpecker in the area. Thinking that maybe it had been harassed or annoyed by the owl's presence, we went to look for the Woodpecker. It flew to a dead tree and after a few minutes, made its way round the back of the tree and out of sight. There were several holes in the back and there it was, hiding inside one of them, peering out at regular intervals. This is a male Pileated, as it has a red moustache. The park paths were absolutely treacherous. I was wearing good ice grabbers on my winter boots and they did absolutely nothing. They simply slid over the remaining ice that had been covered with a light dusting of snow. It snowed here again last night, hopefully enough to create a solid layer to completely hide the ice. “Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So how do their heads not turn to mush? Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. "If you get hit hard in the head, you can break blood vessels behind the eye or traumatize nerves behind eye," said University of California Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab. ‘Seeing patients in car accidents and knowing what woodpeckers do made me wonder why these injuries don't happen in woodpeckers.’ Last fall, Schwab was honored with an Ig Nobel award, the irreverent version of the Nobel Prize, for his research on how woodpeckers avoid headaches, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Along with their straight-as-an-arrow strikes at the tree, which safeguards against head trauma, birds' bodies are designed to absorb the impact. One millisecond before a strike comes across the bill, dense muscles in the neck contract, and the bird closes its thick inner eyelid. Some of the force radiates down the neck muscles and protects the skull from a full blow. A compressible bone in the skull offers cushion, too. Meanwhile, the bird's closed eyelid shields the eye from any pieces of wood bouncing off the tree and holds the eyeball in place. The eyelid acts like a seat belt and keeps the eye from literally popping out of the head," Schwab told LiveScience. "Otherwise, acceleration would tear the retina." The outside portion of the eye itself is firm, filled with blood to support the retina from being jostled around. Bird brains also remain rigid during head banging. Injuries to the human head make our brains bounce back and forth in the cerebral spinal fluid, bathing the organ, but woodpeckers have virtually none of this fluid. While scientists can't be certain that woodpeckers don't get headaches, Schwab pointed out that the birds are at least very tolerant of headaches.” From Science on NBC News, 1 August 2007. www.nbcnews.com/id/16531772/ns/technology_and_science-sci... www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/pileated_woodpecker/id "This Woodpecker is roughly Crow-sized ... Adults are 40 to 49 cm (16 to 19 in) long, span 66 to 75 cm (26 to 30 in) across the wings and weigh 250 to 400 g (8.8 to 14.1 oz), with an average weight of 300 g (11 oz)." From WIkipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_woodpecker

“Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So how do their heads not turn to mush? Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. "If you get hit hard in the head, you can break blood vessels behind the eye or traumatize nerves behind eye," said University of California Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab. ‘Seeing patients in car accidents and knowing what woodpeckers do made me wonder why these injuries don't happen in woodpeckers.’ Last fall, Schwab was honored with an Ig Nobel award, the irreverent version of the Nobel Prize, for his research on how woodpeckers avoid headaches, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Along with their straight-as-an-arrow strikes at the tree, which safeguards against head trauma, birds' bodies are designed to absorb the impact. One millisecond before a strike comes across the bill, dense muscles in the neck contract, and the bird closes its thick inner eyelid. Some of the force radiates down the neck muscles and protects the skull from a full blow. A compressible bone in the skull offers cushion, too. Meanwhile, the bird's closed eyelid shields the eye from any pieces of wood bouncing off the tree and holds the eyeball in place. The eyelid acts like a seat belt and keeps the eye from literally popping out of the head," Schwab told LiveScience. "Otherwise, acceleration would tear the retina." The outside portion of the eye itself is firm, filled with blood to support the retina from being jostled around. Bird brains also remain rigid during head banging. Injuries to the human head make our brains bounce back and forth in the cerebral spinal fluid, bathing the organ, but woodpeckers have virtually none of this fluid. While scientists can't be certain that woodpeckers don't get headaches, Schwab pointed out that the birds are at least very tolerant of headaches.” From Science on NBC News, 1 August 2007. www.nbcnews.com/id/16531772/ns/technology_and_science-sci... Photo was taken on 4 December 2014, when I went for a short walk in Fish Creek Park. That week, I was trying to do several short walks to see if it made any difference at all to the level of pain in my back. The weather has been beautiful recently, too – we all know that it is going to change back to “winter” again before too long. Also, a short time in the park can (if you are lucky!) be simply amazing. I happened to come across this female Pileated Woodpecker near the base of a tree. Almost impossible to get a sharp photo because she just didn’t stop banging her head against the tree. So many photos had to be deleted, ha. While I was trying to catch one split second when the action actually slowed down, a much smaller bird flew over my head and landed on the same tree, about 4’ higher. Could not believe my eyes when I saw that it was a male Black-backed Woodpecker (rare in Alberta, just like the two American Three-toed Woodpeckers that I saw in a different part of the park, on two different days that week). Talk about being lucky! Later: ha, returned to the same area the next afternoon, thinking it would be nice to try and get some better shots. Well, there was no sign of either species, of course - in fact, very few birds of any kind. I did see a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers high up on two of the tallest trees, and there were a few Chickadees.

“Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So how do their heads not turn to mush? Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. "If you get hit hard in the head, you can break blood vessels behind the eye or traumatize nerves behind eye," said University of California Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab. ‘Seeing patients in car accidents and knowing what woodpeckers do made me wonder why these injuries don't happen in woodpeckers.’ Last fall, Schwab was honored with an Ig Nobel award, the irreverent version of the Nobel Prize, for his research on how woodpeckers avoid headaches, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Along with their straight-as-an-arrow strikes at the tree, which safeguards against head trauma, birds' bodies are designed to absorb the impact. One millisecond before a strike comes across the bill, dense muscles in the neck contract, and the bird closes its thick inner eyelid. Some of the force radiates down the neck muscles and protects the skull from a full blow. A compressible bone in the skull offers cushion, too. Meanwhile, the bird's closed eyelid shields the eye from any pieces of wood bouncing off the tree and holds the eyeball in place. The eyelid acts like a seat belt and keeps the eye from literally popping out of the head," Schwab told LiveScience. "Otherwise, acceleration would tear the retina." The outside portion of the eye itself is firm, filled with blood to support the retina from being jostled around. Bird brains also remain rigid during head banging. Injuries to the human head make our brains bounce back and forth in the cerebral spinal fluid, bathing the organ, but woodpeckers have virtually none of this fluid. While scientists can't be certain that woodpeckers don't get headaches, Schwab pointed out that the birds are at least very tolerant of headaches.” From Science on NBC News, 1 August 2007. www.nbcnews.com/id/16531772/ns/technology_and_science-sci... Photo was taken yesterday, 4 December 2014, when I went for a short walk in Fish Creek Park. This week, I’ve been trying to do several short walks to see if it makes any difference at all to the level of pain in my back. The weather has been beautiful this week, too – we all know that it is going to change back to “winter” before too long. Also, a short time in the park can (if you are lucky!) be simply amazing. I happened to come across this female Pileated Woodpecker near the base of a tree. Almost impossible to get a sharp photo because she just didn’t stop banging her head against the tree. She caught me off guard when she suddenly turned her head around – too bad I missed part of her beautiful red crest. So many photos to be deleted, ha. While I was trying to catch one split second when the action actually slowed down, a much smaller bird flew over my head and landed on the same tree, about 4’ higher. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that it was a male Black-backed Woodpecker (rare in Alberta, just like the two American Three-toed Woodpeckers that I saw in a different part of the park, on two different days this week). Talk about being lucky! Later: ha, returned to the same area this afternoon, thinking it would be nice to try and get some better shots. Well, there was no sign of either species today - in fact, very few birds of any kind. I did see a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers high up on two of the tallest trees, and there were a few Chickadees. Yesterday, when I was trying to focus on the Pileated, a couple of times a Chickadee flew inside my lens hood. Could almost hear, and most definitely could imagine, those tiny, sharp claws scraping against the camera lens.

A very distant and heavily cropped photo of this Pileated Woodpecker, seen in Griffith Woods on 10 February 2014. Always a thrill to see one of these large Woodpeckers, but I always seem to miss the sightings that are very close! One of these days ..... : ) Posted mainly so that I can add it to my Griffith Woods set. "The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens." From AllAboutBirds.org. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_Woodpecker

It's always a treat to see a PIleated Woodpecker, especially one that is a little bit closer. Saw this one on 22 April 2013, when I was on a walk with birding friends along the Bow River, south from the parking lot at Carburn Park. This is a male - adult males have a red line (moustache, or mustache) from the bill to the throat, in adult females these are black. Heavily cropped, so not good quality. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_Woodpecker "The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens." From AllAboutBirds.org. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id

A photo from my archives of this male American Three-toed Woodpecker that I took at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park, on 12 March 2011. These are rare birds here, so I feel very lucky to have seen this one and any others. On 1 January 2013, a group of us saw a rare Black-backed Woodpecker in the very same area. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Three-toed_Woodpecker www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke...

Found this male (you can just see the faint hint of red on the back of the head) Downy Woodpecker in the Weaselhead natural area, on 3 December 2012. He gave me the chance to get several close shots in nice light. The tuft of nasal bristles at the base of the bill helps to keep wood chips and sawdust out of their nostrils. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downy_Woodpecker www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id

A messy shot and heavily cropped, but I hadn't seen a Pileated Woodpecker for ages. This one was seen through snow-covered branches, far in the distance, down in the Weaselhead natural Area, on 3 December 2012. They are such large birds and so spectacular, you can't help but be in awe when you see one.

Almost missed this shot, this male Downy Woodpecker was constantly on the move, but stopped for this brief second. Have to love those males, with their splash of red : ) Taken in Hull's Wood, Fish Creek Park, on 26 November 2012. It always amazes me how a photo of a bird that was way up on a tree, can make it look as if the bird was at eye level. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downy_Woodpecker

A beautiful Northern Flicker hybrid, stopping long enough to briefly turn its head away from the cavity it was busy making. He's using his tail for balance. Photographed at Carburn Park on March 3rd. Words from a local naturalist, that were made about a previously-posted Northern Flicker, that explain what a hybrid looks like: "This photo shows characteristics common to the Northern Flickers in the Calgary area. All of our birds are basically hybrids between the western Red-shafted and the eastern Yellow-shafted forms. This bird is a male, indicated by the moustache or malar stripe. This is normally red in the western form and black in the eastern form. Both colours occur on this bird. The yellow shafts of the eastern form are plainly visible in the wing of this birds. Also characteristice of the Yellow-shafted is the red nape patch. Uncharacteristic is the gray throat, typical of the western form. The markings around the eye, while most like the western form, are more exaggerated." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_flicker/id/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Flicker