Day 56: Downy Woodpeckers are fairly common in our woodlands here, but they are more often heard than seen. I checked up short when I heard a familiar "pik! pik!" note alongside a city park walking trail and kept my eyes slightly disfocused until a bit of motion caught my eye. Spiralling up from the back side of a young tree, Mr. Picoides would pause every few inches, turn his head to the side and balance with his stiff tailfeathers braced against the tree trunk while he delved for bugs beneath the bark and lichens. At times, he would retreat a few inches, but his progress was noticeably upward until at last he flew away, disturbed by a passing jogger who wasn't the least bit curious as to why a photographer had her lens trained on the forest.
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