Quote Originally Posted by ides1056 View Post
One thing that has been particularly striking about the past four weeks is the quiet. There has been no air traffic overhead, very much like the days after September 11. Walking the dogs early in the morning a Pileated woodpecker flew over and I heard the sound of its wings slicing the air. I have never noticed this before, and I encounter them frequently. Growing up in CA the only times I ever saw them was in very deep forest far removed from humans. Here they are abundant and unafraid.
The pileated woodpeckers have really multiplied around here over the past few years, they're having a ball with all the various bark beetles. Love their call, almost as common as turkeys now. Yesterday there was one right outside our kitchen window going to town on some fallen logs.

But the sound of their wings is amazing. I probably hear two for every one I see. They're still pretty shy. And fast.