Pileated Woodpecker: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — This bird flew into a tall bare maple tree on the other side of the pond while I was looking for Great Blue Herons in the river. I don’t see Pileateds very often, though they certainly nest in the area, so I hustled (much as a 76 year old ever hustles) around the pond and under the tree on the off chance the bird would wait for me. Turns out it was busy having a preen and was able to get some shots…not ideal…silhouetted against the grey sky and from an odd angle…but still…you have to photograph what is in front of you…especially when it is a Pileated Woodpecker. Pileated, by the way, refers to the peaked cap on the head. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Plus 1.0 EV for the backlight. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.