Friday, February 7, 2014

A Rare Pileated Woodpecker




Today I photographed a rare bird in Nebraska - the Pileated Woodpecker.  It shouldn't be here - Nebraska is completely out of its range.  This isn't an undocumented vagrant that accidentally arrived.  It is excavating a nest and intends to stay.  


 The loess hills were formed from windblown glacial silt left over from the ice ages.  In Fontenelle Forest and the nearby area the loess provides a forest environment unlike any other found in Nebraska.  The Pileated Woodpecker likes what he finds here.  I'm amazed that I can photograph such a diversity  of nature so close to the urban environment of Omaha.

No comments:

Post a Comment