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Pileated Woodpecker (Male & Female) - 7 Photos

It was just one of those magical moments when all the camera "ducks were in a row", i.e. camera settings were suitable, lens was at the maximum length for a close up & timing was just right.

I try to remember to shoot head shots on wildlife if I'm near enough to the subject to get in close with the lens. The male Pileated Woodpecker was determined to dig out whatever was in this tree so I had an opportunity to focus in while he was pre-occupied.

I wasn't expecting to see anything other than wood chips after his excavation but what he pulled out of the hole explained his determination (Photo #1 through Photo #3). 

I'm not familiar with insect identification, let alone larvae so I went off to some reliable sources. The consensus was that this was the larvae of a longhorn (woodborer) beetle, which can get up to over 8 inches long. The length of the larvae can be estimated by the size of the Pileated's bill.

So having downed this large meal, Mr. flew off to join Mrs. for a brief period before flying on (Photo #4). He was probably so happy that as offspring have not yet arrived (let alone even laid), he didn't have to share. :) 

Having caught the male Pileated Woodpecker on camera, it was time to photograph the female, who was equally cooperative but not so fortunate in her drilling (Photo #5 through Photo #7). 

PILEATED WOODPECKER (MALE)

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PILEATED WOODPECKER (FEMALE)

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7