Above: Me with a juvenile pileated that I caught in my mist net in Jug Bay July 2, 2008 while working on a West Nile Virus research project.Below: Pileated woodpecker in my yard this morning!
Those of you who have been following my blog for awhile know that I am a bit infatuated with pileated woodpeckers. So it was quite a thrill to look up from my desk while studying this morning to see one pecking on the tree right in front of me! IntrepidHomeImprovementMom says they come to the yard frequently. What a treat.
That day in Jug Bay from which I took the photos above was one of the best days of my life. Along with some beautiful long runs I took with Eagle Eyes in Rock Creek park in D.C. and some long runs in the Almaden Quicksilver hills in San Jose by myself and later with RunningRoommate, it was one of the most intensely enjoyable experiences of my adult life and so it is always a joy to see a pileated and be reminded of that magic.
(Note: check out my arm muscles in that photo! That's what happens when I spend an hour or two every morning sledge hammering in mist nets and running 6-8 miles in the evening. I just don't have time to work out as much as I'd like to in vet school but man, I miss being in that kind of shape!)
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