Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

The Elm Fork Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists organized and began a monthly bird walk at the CCNHC last fall 2014. I became part of this intrepid group of bird watchers at the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center (CCNHC), in the far northeast side of the City of Denton, Texas. One of the things we observed after starting in November of 2014 and after was that this area of dead trees and fallen logs off of the Rookery Trail was home to at least two Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). A common sight to anyone jogging, biking, or hiking the trail at different times of the day, the Red-headed Woodpeckers could be counted on often to make an appearance and display their aerial skills (as depicted in the accompanying digital images). The current observation was made on February 13, 2015, in the midst of our North Texas winter.