Six toes

I made the ride out to Griffith Woods again today. Weather was a repeat of last week, overcast and cool, though the predicted flurries never materialized. The snow that fell last weekend had largely melted and the roads and paths were in decent condition. Despite being the middle of winter, I was serenaded by House Finches singing in many of the residential areas along the route. An adult Bald Eagle was soaring above the Glenmore Dam and I noted scattered flocks of Bohemian Waxwings and Common Redpolls. I arrived at the park shortly before ten, after a 90 minute trip. Altalink does not work weekends, fortunately, and except for the drone from the nearby highway, the woods were quiet.

An American Three-toed Woodpecker has been reported in the park intermittently since early January; although a number of birders have failed to find it the last couple of weeks. My strategy was to focus on the decadent stands of White Spruce that occur north of the regional pathway, and where I have previously seen three-toed woodpeckers. No evidence of the three-toed was found after a morning of searching, although Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers caused many false alarms. I was walking back to the bike when I heard tapping coming from a stand of dead spruce just off the path. Slowly manoeuvring around the trees, I caught a glimpse of the woodpecker's barred sides and yellow crown! Like most boreal species, the bird was tame and approachable, and I was afforded great views as it flaked off bark searching for beetles. Its back was almost entirely white, typical of the nominate dorsalis. Successfully finding the bird, I treated myself to lunch and a beer at Javino, before starting the ride home.