Woodpeckers of Apalachicola

Being the birders-on-the-go that we are, Nick and I find that we barely have time to write all the posts that we want from one birding trip before we have go on another trip and then want to write more posts for that one! So, sometimes wonderful experiences go unspoken, but not forgotten. So here is a look back at an amazing experience we had with our first (and so far, only) encounters with a Red-headed Woodpecker and the adorable, and endangered, Red-cockaded Woodpecker. (Later we found out that we have Red-cockaded woodpeckers right here in Palm Beach County, FL! We will have to look for them soon). You won't see super amazing pictures here, but you'll get a fun story and some nice looks at great woodpeckers.

Yellow Flower in the Apalachicola National Forest

As you may know from a couple of previous posts, we ventured out to the Florida Panhandle last Labor Day weekend to explore the area and find some good birds that we may not get in South Florida. We camped out in the Apalachicola area, and we fell in love with the awesome Apalachicola National Forest. I guess I haven’t been to a national forest before since I was so tickled by sight of the old-school national forest signs that look like something out of the Yogi Bear cartoons.

A marked tree indicating Red-cockaded Woodpecker nesting site

White marking and a tag marking Red-cockaded Woodpecker nesting site

Before heading out one lovely crisp morning, we did our research to find out where would be the best place to locate the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker within Apalachicola National Forest. We drove to the spot, and nobody else was around. It was a beautiful silence all around as we stood among the tall long-leaf pine trees. We walked around this one area, and we noticed one tree marked with a white ring painted on the base of the trunk. These markings were scattered throughout the forest to note where the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have nested. After great declines due to deforestation, scientists are now keeping a watchful eye on these rare birds.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers climbing a tree

Pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers climbing a tree

So we went towards one of these trees and we waited to see if any woodpeckers would arrive. We waited... and we waited... and we waited. It was TOO quiet and nothing was stirring. We kept saying that we’ll just wait a little more. We didn’t want to miss our chance to see this bird which is known to be in this area and which is sadly endangered. But finally, after waiting and almost giving up, we saw a flash and then another flash along with zippy calls being made. Finally, a pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers arrived! We watched them in awe as they flitted about and climbed up the tall pines.

Little Red-Cockaded Woodpecker among the tall pines

Back view of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Can you see the cockade? Neither can we... and most others  =)

Closer view of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

And since birds of a feather flock together, out came a Red-headed Woodpecker, too! We got to enjoy the sight of this striking woodpecker with its fully bright red head and its broad areas of solid white and black.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpecker pecking

This was one of those really special moments that we’ll remember forever – the feeling of being so small in a large forest, the feeling of hope and then almost disappointment, finally followed by the feeling of pure joy and awe at seeing a rare species in its natural habitat. We wanted to stay there all day, but we finally pulled ourselves away to continue our birding excursion.

Red-headed Woodpecker showing off his wing

Red-headed Woodpecker