A photo of my first Pileated Woodpecker (lifer #319), a female seen in the forest just to the east of the Humboldt State University campus. When I first detected this bird - by its pecking sound more reminiscent of an ax than a woodpecker - I didn't have my camera with me, so after some internal debate, I decided to take a chance and run back to my dorm to retrieve my camera. Luckily, the bird was still in the same spot when I got back some 10 minutes later, and ever since I've made sure to always have my camera with me whenever I'm out birding.
