Do woodpeckers smile?
Earlier this month, I spent some time observing a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) at work, high in a tree at my local marshland park. The woodpecker would peck away for a while and then stop for a break. As the big bird turned his head to one side or to the other, it seemed to me that its face would light up in a self-satisfied smile.
What do you think, is the woodpecker smiling or is it just my imagination, running away with me? (Sorry, I just couldn’t resist the temptations to throw in a line from a song.)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
You got some great views there! Was it excavating a nest hole or just hunting for grub?
It didn’t peck really deeply, so I don’t think it was for a nest. I went back to the tree a few days later and there didn’t seem to be any more work done to make the hole deeper. (I took a lot of shots and am going over them to see if I have any ones I can post with the beak buried in the wood of the tree.)
Stunning photos of a striking woodpecker, thanks Mike.
Striking woodpecker? I like that word combination on multiple levels. Thanks.
…and I liked getting an echo of Mick Jagger!
I had in my head the version by the Temptations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNgcYKNoE3I), but Jagger is ok for me too.
When I read your sentence “The woodpecker would peck away for a while and then stop for a break,” I misread the last word as beak, which also makes sense, like the two senses of the striking woodpecker in the previous comment.
As I know from your blog, you too love to play with words–I like that in a person. 🙂
Yes, words with which to play
And photos to display.
He does look kinda satisfied and content!
Either he’s content or a little loopy from banging his head against a tree repeatedly.