mikeham

We hit a two hour trail that's unmanaged; a sign warns, 'at own risk'. At least, it doesn't ask us to abandon all hope.

After some time, we trudge through a swampy boardwalk. As we end it, a shadow like a missile shoots across our trail.

Steven exclaims, "Hey, that was a Pileated Woodpecker!"

We linger and clamour to view this Northern exotic bird, although the bird books explain that they are common. But, I say exotic because of its huge smoldering black vestments crossed by a line of brilliant red across its white face and head.

We must see it. I hear it in the bush ahead of us. I trudge into pine and maple, ground cover, dead trees, and whatever else that scratches, or prohibits our bodies from walking towards the frantic voice. I hear him pecking a dead tree just ahead of me. I glimpse black feathers darting to the left, and in my ears that frantic booming voice. We move back to the path; Steven following its darting body back towards the boardwalk. I follow the woodpecker's outcry.

And there he is vertically on alert against a dead marsh tree. As we manage our binoculars, his outcry becomes more abrasive, louder, as if protesting its celebrity. Through binoculars we peer at his neat magnificence of feathered black and white and red natural design. Like any fan, we are honoured and awed by the presence of such beauty and character.

I think Nature, too, must have glowed brightly when it discovered the first Pileated Woodpecker emerge radiantly out of its belly.

butchiesmom

Love that thought.

I made a suggestion in bold. One thing I'm not confident about is my punctuation, but I'm not sure the semi-colon should be used.

I like the description here. I could see the bird with the black vestments (robes?) and its white head with the red. I'm not a bird watcher, lol, but from your description, I had to find an image of it, so I googled it, lol. Your description of this bird is perfect.

Your description of trying to move in the overgrown brush and trees brought me back to a few months ago when I tried moving through tall grass just to get from point A to B. It took several weeks for the poison ivy to go away. That'll teach me to go around in tall grass in sneakers and shorts.

I enjoyed your story about the woodpecker and your descriptions of the bird. I'm not a bird watcher but I do have other hobbies, besides writing, which have people shaking their heads in disbelief when I show as much enthusiasm as this person did for finding the bird.

I've made a couple of suggestions in bold, please consider them as just that, suggestions.

hugs,
Gail