Rare (in Alberta) American Three-toed Woodpecker

Two days ago (1 December 2014), I called in at Votier’s Flats (in Fish Creek Park) just before noon, and then I drove over to Bebo Grove to see if there was any sign of the Barred Owl – no, there wasn't, and two other people had looked and been unsuccessful. I did see a male American Three-toed Woodpecker, though, which is always a treat, especially as it is rare in Alberta.

Yesterday was almost a repeat of the previous day, except that I went on a birding walk at Votier's Flats, hoping that someone would be able to find the Black-backed Woodpecker that had been seen. We were out of luck, unfortunately - I have seen one before, though.

After the walk, I again went over to Bebo Grove. No sign of the Barred Owl, but after a lot of searching, I happened to spot this female American Three-toed Woodpecker, presumably the mate of the male Woodpecker I had seen the previous day (photo posted yesterday).

Like yesterday's photo, this one also shows a tree that has had bits of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are in tunnels beneath the bark, so the bark has to be removed. See the tongue in action, lol! Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. I think the tiny specks in this photo were from snow falling off one of the very high branches just as I was taking this photo.

"The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker