Colorful trip to UCF: Bluebirds and red-headed Pileated Woodpeckers

Roger Simmons,

UCF’s Arboretum is my go-to place for birding if I only have a limited amount of time. It’s the closest birding hotspot to my house, and it usually never disappoints with what you can see there.

That included a recent evening when I went there just before sunset. I was rewarded with sightings of daddy and baby Eastern Bluebirds, and red-headed male and female Pileated Woodpeckers.

A few deer even showed up to complete the evening.

A daddy Eastern Bluebird sticks close to its little one at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
A baby Eastern Bluebird gets puffed up by the breeze at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
A male Eastern Bluebird stays on alert with its little one close by at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
This little Eastern Bluebird sits on a branch close to its parent at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
This male Pileated Woodpecker, with its red mustache, checks out the area at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
This female Pileated Woodpecker looks down on the UCF Arboretum in September 2023. Yes, she’s a natural red-head.
This male Pileated Woodpecker takes a classic woodpecker pose against a pine tree at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
This Pileated Woodpecker at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023 doesn’t have a red mustache, so it’s a female, of course.
This male Pileated Woodpecker is keeping a keen eye on its mate and the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
A male Pileated Woodpecker is ready to get some kicks at the UCF Arboretum in September 2023.
Even the deer at UCF seem excited about the Big 12. Here are two of the four deer who came by the UCF Arboretum in September 2023 to check out the new stadium signage.
All Birds UCF Arboretum

Related Posts