By: Mary Erickson of Birds of a Feather Walk Together

January is my birthday month, and I made a very specific gift request to my Dear One: that he help me find a new life bird–the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Road trip!

“The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. Its habitat—old pines with very little understory—was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. The birds dig cavities in living pines softened by heartwood rot. They live in family groups that work together to dig cavities and raise young. The species declined drastically as its original habitat was cut down, and the species was listed as Endangered in 1970. “

The Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve is a 90 minute drive south of us, in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
However we got a rather late start for a birding adventure, and arrived at the Preserve at 11 a.m., where we learned that the Red-cockaded Woodpecker is here in the morning, then leaves FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, and returns in the evening and immediately goes to bed. So we made a plan:

•   Explore the trail near the visitor center
•   Go into town for lunch
•   Go somewhere else to bird for an hour or two
•   Return at 3 p.m. to see target bird

Trails in the Sandhills are exceptionally comfortable for hiking!

The day was overcast, and the trees are tall, so we spent a LOT of time with this view. And it’s NOON, which is not the “birdiest” time of day.

Nevertheless:

Siri, I’m hungry.Well, we can’t have that. Here’s what I found.

We can now highly recommend The Leadmine in Southern Pines. And yes, that’s a New York Sour, because it’s my birthday and I’m not driving.

After lunch we headed to the Boyd section of the Preserve, and did a 1-mile loop around The Oldest Living Long-Leaf Pine tree on the planet.

There were woodpeckers, but not our target bird.

We also saw evidence of a recent controlled burn, which takes the place of the historical lightning fires which maintain the desired habitat.

Then back to the main center at 3:00 p.m., where we began walking back and forth along a stretch of trail looking for the woodpecker to return to its nest site. The trees with existing cavities are helpfully marked–but they are spread out and numerous.

So many nesting holes!!!

And then, at 4:40 p.m. I hear the husky squeak squeak squeak, see a woodpecker, check it out with the bins, grab the camera for a photo, my Dear One who is away at a different stand of trees, and 20 seconds later the bird pops into his hole and has gone to bed.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker!!!

Three minutes later, my best friend arrives, way too late to see a bird that was only there for 20 seconds. He never saw it. But was so happy that I did, for my birthday.

And that, my friends, is love.

Author Bio: Mary Erickson is an accomplished North Carolina birder, blogger and photographer. You can view her stunning photography and read all about her adventures in birding the Tarheel State at Birds of a Feather Walk Together