It had been almost exactly a year since I last saw a Red-headed Woodpecker. But as soon as I turned onto Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County on Saturday morning, it became the first bird I saw.
I made the trip down to the remote Osceola County birding area in the hopes of seeing this bird. But I had made similar trips hoping for the same thing only to leave disappointed.
Of course, the conditions for photographing this Red-headed Woodpecker weren’t great. When I arrived, it was hanging out on a tree directly in front of the rising sun. When I left, it was on another tree but in shadows.
In addition to seeing Big Red, I also was thrilled to see some Osceola Turkeys and their chicks, which are called poults. It was the first time I had seen turkey poults, who proved hard to photograph because they kept hiding in the tall grass.
Of course, there were also many Eastern Meadowlarks along the five-mile road. I love rolling down the windows in my car and listening to them sing while driving along Joe Overstreet.
And there were a few other birds to see along Lake Kissimmee at the end of the road.
But it was the Red-headed Woodpecker that made this a red-letter day for birding. Hopefully it won’t be another year until I see my Red-headed nemesis again.
