Yesterday evening I had the rare opportunity to go birding. Our family schedule normally does not allow me to be away as the sun sets in the west. I made one final trip to the Wisconsin Grasslands in the hope that I might see some Red Headed Woodpecker chicks, but there was still no sign (or sound) of young at the nest hole. Last year I saw woodpecker chicks at various nest holes on June 29th. Here we are on July 9th and neither of the two woodpecker families I have been monitoring have chicks.

Why the last trip to see Red? Early Tuesday morning Molly and I head west for a week’s vacation with our children followed by our bike tour through the mountains of British Columbia to the Pacific.

I see you! Red-Headed Woodpecker

Summer! Meadowlark on a Hay Bale