Posted by BLUFFSPRING on January 1, 2008 at 5:05 PM
I first apologize for the low quality of this image. However, I would like some help with the identity of this bird. The image was taken in Northwest Arkansas, mixed forrest and field setting.
I've searched several databases but could not find a good match.
Here's a gallery with a few more images. Gallery
Hope everyone is having a good start to the new year.
It is actually one of the most famous birds in the world, especially of late - the ivory-billed look-alike, pileated woodpecker (dryocopus pileatus). I bet there have been tens of thousands of sightings of this bird reported to have been an ivory-billed. We used to call them the "good-god" bird whenever we were out deer hunting and saw one fly by - that was because they were so huge - "Good god what was that bird?" This is the bird that Woody Woodpecker was made up from, one of my personal childhood heros. Hardly a week goes by without hearing or seeing several of them around here.
Posted by BLUFFSPRING on January 1, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Thanks Tim.
I took this near the Old Mill Pond while watching for the Swans. No Swans this morning but I had the same response of "Good God" when I saw this Woodpecker. He was huge!
I also saw an otter in the pond and wondered if he was the reason that the swans were absent.
Hey, that is great about the otter - I've never seen one there before and you are probably correct about it scaring the swans off, especially after last year. When the swans were not on the pond last year they had flown over to the pond that is right next to the Walnut Grove rental cabin, which is located right behind Boxley Valley Church, which is about a mile or so on up the valley. In fact when the swans are on this other pond you can see them from the highway.
Posted by BLUFFSPRING on January 1, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Thanks Tim.
I took this near the Old Mill Pond while watching for the Swans. No Swans this morning but I had the same response of "Good God" when I saw this Woodpecker. He was huge!
I also saw an otter in the pond and wondered if he was the reason that the swans were absent.
Discussion
4 repliesI've searched several databases but could not find a good match.
Here's a gallery with a few more images.
Gallery
Hope everyone is having a good start to the new year.
Thanks in advance,
Rod
I took this near the Old Mill Pond while watching for the Swans. No Swans this morning but I had the same response of "Good God" when I saw this Woodpecker. He was huge!
I also saw an otter in the pond and wondered if he was the reason that the swans were absent.
Rod
I took this near the Old Mill Pond while watching for the Swans. No Swans this morning but I had the same response of "Good God" when I saw this Woodpecker. He was huge!
I also saw an otter in the pond and wondered if he was the reason that the swans were absent.
Rod