[Birdnet] Fw: possible pileated woodpecker in Spanish Fork canyon

[Kristin Purdy]

Please see the note below from Lu Giddings.  Lu observed what may have been
a PILEATED WOODPECKER flying over highway 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon on
Saturday. He tried to post at 2 p.m. on Saturday on his way to birding San
Juan County, but his message bounced. Lu will return to the Wasatch Front
this coming Friday.

Kris
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <seldom74 at xmission.com>
To: "Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 11:06 PM
Subject: possible pileated woodpecker in Spanish Fork canyon



> At about 11 a.m. as I was driving east in the Covered Bridge area of
Spanish
> Fork canyon on Highway 6, I noticed a large, dark bird flying west toward
me,
> directly over the west-bound lanes of the highway and at an altitude of
20-25
> feet. It was initially several hundred yards east of me but flew directly
> toward me and then passed me about 10 seconds after I initially spotted
it,
> at a distance of less than 40-50'. I observed the following:
>
> - the bird had a very heavy large dark straight bill about 3" in length
> - the bird had a very conspicuous crest, although I was unable to
ascertain
> its color
> - the bird was large, slightly larger than a crow and smaller than a raven
> - the bird had a mostly pure white face with a black mask across its eyes
> - the entire underside of the wings was pure white, except for the back
edges
> and wing-tips
> - the bird had a neck, i.e., it's head was well in front of the leading
edge
> of its wings, unlike sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks. The neck  was much
> shorter and thicker than the necks of herons, egrets, and cormorants.
> - the bird was a very strong flier and flew like a woodpecker with a
> flap-glide pattern, 4-8 strong deep flaps and then I think I saw it glide
> with its wings close to its body, although I'm not sure if the wings were
> close or extended
> - as I watched the bird pass me the first thing I said to myself was "that
is
> unlike any other bird I have ever seen in Utah."
>
> Based on my observations I am inclined to believe that the bird was a
pileated
> woodpecker although I am not at all comfortable with this. I realize that
> pileated woodpeckers are not on the Utah list, although there have been
about
> a dozen unconfirmed sightings in the last 100 years. I also realize that
the
> bird would be way out of range.
>
> I invite and welcome informed opinions as to what the bird might otherwise
be.
> And I would very much appreciate visual corroboration by other birders if
> possible. I encourage  northern Utah birders to keep their eyes open over
the
> next few days on the off-chance that I am not incorrect or mistaken.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lu Giddings