Later, near dusk, after hiking the Giant City Nature and Devil's Standtable trails, Sandra wanted to see some deer. The first two days, we spied a few near the cabins around sunset. This time she wanted to be prepared and really get a view. With camera in hand, I sat next to her on a bench outside the cabin and waited.
Five minutes. Ten minutes. No deer, yet a somewhat familiar sound carried to us, and we looked around.
Gazing Skyward
It was a soft knocking, one we had heard on the trail before. Sandra's eyes zeroed in on the branch and caught it.
Woodpecker!
It wasn't the large-winged bird that we startled early, the pileated woodpecker. This was a much smaller cousin. Still it was amazing for us to see the small animal on the mostly severed branch of a nearby tree.
Little One on the Tree
For minutes, we watched and I took dozens of pictures as the woodpecker inspected the branch, rising to where the limb cracked.
A Thorough Investigation
It's stunning how moments can be themselves. We sat outside, searched for deer, and found none as we waited that late afternoon/evening. Yet, the moment stood apart due to a completely unexpected little knocking, just one small bird going about its daily life.
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