Pileated Woodpecker: Benton, Maine, USA, July 2026 — I went for a walk on the old rail bed parallel to the river while visiting up-Maine. I was coming back when a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers took off from ground level and soared out into the forest between the trail and the river. I always forget just how big they are until they fly, and these two flew all around me, back and forth across the trail a dozen feet above me, while I worked at getting photos of them when they perched. The forest was dense, and clear shots were hard to come by, but I got a few images I can live with. Pileated, by the way, means “capped”. 🙂 Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 contemporary at around 8-900mm equivalent field of view crop. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.