Injured Woodpecker

I've stared at this long enough and still can't quite tell what this is on the woodpecker's neck.

Either it is a large splinter stuck there or it is a growth.

It didn't seem to hamper him. He (or she) also scratched at it but couldn't dislodge it.

Had I noticed it right away, I would have tried to get a clearer shot of it.

Any idea what it is?

It's hard telling from this size, Joe, but offhand I'd say it's a growth of some sort.

You might also want to post this in the Bird Photography forum. You'll find it under "Forums" in the heading at the top of the page.