Hairy Woodpecker

Woodpeckers are among a short list of my favorite types birds to photograph, so I was rather pleased when I came across this Hairy Woodpecker at the George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. This past Monday afternoon the sanctuary was rather busy, but as daylight starts to fade the crowds thin out, and some of the birds move closer to the trails. While the Hairy Woodpecker is not a rare bird in the region at this time of year, I still enjoy watching them. This particular woodpecker was moving up and down the trunk of a dead tree. If you look closely in the photo you even see a piece of tree bark flying off.