The kids in the neighborhood came running up with a tale of distress, a bird
stuck in the gutter of a neighbors roof. I could see a largish dark bird
crammed into the corner of a porch gutter and so, with towel in hand, I
carefully climbed out onto a railing. I was expecting to find a crow and
found myself face to face with a not quite fledgling Pileated Woodpecker. It
had gotten itself stuck under a shingle that overhung the roof, so carefully
I pried up the shingle and mindful of that beak, pushed the little guy over
the edge. He fluttered down, obviously not able to fly quite yet. I wanted
to be sure he had not broken or damaged a wing in his adventure so I quietly
and carefully walked up and picked him up, thankful of my bird banding
experience. Upon examination the wings were fine, just a gawky not quite
ready to fly youngster. There is always something magical about a bird in
hand. I looked around and there was a large maple which must be the nest
tree. I put it down on the ground and it hitched its way over to the trunk
where it climbed its way up out of view, with a heck of story to tell its
brothers and sisters.


Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
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