Woodpecker

I had thought I'd catalogued all the back yard birds around here - at least the ones that would sit still and pose for a photo - but it turns out I was wrong.  Not long ago I managed to capture this chap digging into a dead tree behind our house.

That's a pileated woodpecker (you can tell it's a male from the red moustache and forehead).  There's species of woodpeckers around and about, some of which I've blogged about before.  The pileated kind aren't the most colourful or even the most friendly they are the largest and probably best known species.  When casting agencies get asked for a woodpecker, these are the guys they send over.
I've seen a few of these over the years, but I'd come to assume they were quite timid.  It turns out I must have only spotted younger birds before: this one was huge by comparison - as big as a small chicken - and not timid at all.  I was able to creep (not very stealthily) up to the base of the tree he was pecking and he didn't even flinch.
Thinking about it now, I realise it's a good thing he didn't take exception to me - I wouldn't like to end up on the business end of his beak, now that I've seen how easily they chisel big chunks out of wood.  Perhaps I was lucky he didn't decide to have a go at chiselling big chunks out of me?  The risks I take for the perfect shot!