The Wonder of it All

Sometimes I get very sick of my job. I get tired of people and the constant complaints. I get sick of the gates and the kiosk. I don't give a rat's ass about the nature around me. I get jaded and cynical.

Then.... I see something that completely renews my love of the Park and its inhabitants.

As I was walking the loop I noticed a bright red avian head bobbing in the trees. I stopped to take a look and saw TWO pileated woodpeckers. They jumped from the trees to the grass and proceded to feast on some (unseen by me) insects. They were amazing birds- pretty gawky-looking and kept making a soft 'quacking' sound (believe it or not.) It looked to me like one of them was regurgitating food for the other but I am not sure. They were about the same size but maybe one was a subadult...? I was standing no more than 6 feet away from them and they were on the grass right between two RV campsites, but to them, the human world was non-existant. I stood, entranced, and watched them for a good ten minutes before reluctantly returning to the kiosk. These are not the most common birds in the area and I know that birders often come with the express desire of seeing them. I feel like I've been given a gift. :) As I write this I hear one of them drumming on an aspen.....

http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=BD0428