Pileated visits the suet

It was late afternoon, and I was busy catching up on e-mail when, frankly, my attention started to drift out my second-floor office window, Typically, the first place my eyes land in such a distracted situation is on the suet tree, a Red Maple near the house that is equipped with a wire-cage filled with the attractive fat beloved by woodpeckers, nuthatches, Blue Jays, and numerous other birds. Once, many years ago, the suet feeder worked its siren-song magic on a Pileated Woodpecker, that crow-sized, black-and-white behemoth with a brilliant red crest. Now, you can make that twice, for as I watched the tree, a Pileated, calling "ick... ick... ick..." loudly, worked its way down the maple for a quick snack. I raced downstairs to get the camera, and though I figured that I'd be too late to get a good shot, my pessimism was misplaced. The huge and handsome bird jumped from tree to nearby tree, and even spent some time turning over leaves on the ground. All of the shots, alas, were taken through window glass, so they're a little soft. But the images at least captured the moment—that amazingly surprising moment—when a very unexpected guest came calling. I'm keeping the suet feeder filled. I'm hoping the Pileated puts us on his regular feeding route.