My bird of the year was one that wasn't where it was supposed to be.
One morning last spring I looked up from my dishes to watch the birds on
the feeder under the ancient apple tree in my yard. The usual crowd of
tweeters weren't there, instead there was a piliated woodpecker working
on the rotten wood, chunks flying. The only other place I had ever seen
these was deep in old forest. It seemed very strange to see one in my
yard trying to bring down my apple tree. We are on farm land, with some
pretty wild places close at hand so I probably shouldn't have been so
surprised but it was quite a sight. He only stayed a couple of minutes
and to the best of my knowledge hasn't been back. Not very exotic but
fun just the same.

Diane Martin
Chehalis