Yesterday I went in search of Black-Backed Woodpeckers. Given the weather forecast I knew the day might be the last one I could easily hike into the Boreal Forest Bog. The day dawned at -3F, and with my long johns plus mukluks I started the first of my hikes. Today the temperature is supposed to soar to 50F. Given there is still a foot of white stuff in the deep forest, my trails will become mush. Even yesterday by the time I exited my last bog the sun had warmed the air to 40F. Nice!
On my first stop of the day I found a female Black-Backed which was cooperative for viewing, but not photographs,; however on my final hike of the day I struck pay dirt in the Winterberry Bog. I found a pair of woodpeckers which were obviously “an item”, and welcomed an alien in the woods. Over the course of two hours, these two woodpeckers never strayed more than 40 yards from each other … true love. At times the male would stop foraging, pause and listen. When he was certain he could hear his true love near by it was back to flaking bark in search of grubs. Not only were these two Blackbacks cooperative, they really didn’t even care that I existed … often landed on Black Spruce trees only a few feet above my head.
Flaking Bark off Black Spruce Trees (male has the yellow patch on its head)
A nice view of the Yellow Crown
The red around the Black-Backed’s eye
Flaking Bark Videos