Red-headed Woodpecker, Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary, Illinois
Not long ago I wrote here about a migratory Red-headed Woodpecker in our front yard. Today we were in for a special treat. Joan and I drove over to Illinois and made a visit to the Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary, not far from Stockton, IL. This 409-acre property contains managed grassland areas, upland forests, prairie restoration areas, and managed pasture. With other words, this area provides cover and food mix for many birds that have been in decline due to habitat loss and alteration of the land.
The breeding season is in full swing and some of the birds, like Dickcissel or Bobolink, which I hoped to see, stayed low in the grass and didn’t give much opportunity for a picture. Instead a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers came to our attention. With our binoculars and the long lens we spotted a cavity in a dead tree on the other side of a small but steep valley where they seemed to work on. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by and hiked around the valley over to the other side. With the 1.4 teleconverter on the long lens I was able to maintain a safe distance. The birds did not stop their activities. One flew into the hole and I heard it chiseling with its long bill. The construction work for a nest cavity was obviously not finished. This wood pecker is a gorgeous bird and I had this kind of a shot in mind since a long time. Today was the day.
Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,…@850 mm, 1/800s, f/9, ISO 1600, image cropped