Pileated Woodpecker In The North Woods Of Minnesota
1/100 • f/2.8 • ISO 2000 • Canon R3 • 300mm • Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
A few winters back, some friends and I took a birding and photography road trip from New Jersey to Minnesota. At times, we found ourselves near Superior National Forest, not far from the Canadian border. While one of us drove along the snowy roads, the rest looked out the open car windows with thermal optics that detect heat. This was the most vast and deserted area we encountered during the trip. It was cold, still, and dark from the early morning light and heavy clouds. One morning, I was scanning and spotted a small heat signature. It turned out to be this guy. We took some shots right from the car and then kept going. I think this image, with its cool tones, snow on the trees, and the subject small in the frame, gives a bit of a sense of what it was like there that morning.
