Pileated

We were riding down a woods road, H and I, when suddenly two pileated woodpeckers flew across the road not far above the roof of the car.

One bird landed on a black birch tree about 150 feet from us, the other disappeared from sight –

From the reddish cast to the “mustache” marks on the side of the face to its apparent begging for food, it seems that this was a young male.

He spent some time on the tree as he preened and the other bird flew past –

From there he flew to a small fallen dead tree –

And then off he went, flying out of sight.

Other than a couple of quick glimpses we never had a good look at the other bird.