Pileated Woodpecker - 07 Oct 2026

Skies cleared overnight here on Mackinac Island and it was a comfortable 57ºF at 9 am when I took another walk around Mackinac Island State Park. 

The White-crowned Sparrow flock continued in the Maintenance Yard and surrounding field of Common Tansy and Gray-headed Coneflower. The White-crowned Sparrows were uncooperative, but a few Song Sparrows played a bit nicer.

A couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers made brief appearances in a nearby spruce followed by a foraging Palm Warbler that was playing hard to get. As I stood in the field waiting for the Palm Warbler to work its way around from the back of the spruce I heard the call of a Pileated Woodpecker. Merlin confirmed.

I heard the Pileated Woodpecker call again from somewhere nearby and raised my camera as it came flying into view. It was flying toward me, flew right over the top of me, and continued across the field to my right. 

Lady Luck shone on me this morning as the Pileated Woodpecker then circled back around me for a second pass! By now I was able to get the Sony a1 II + 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS on it and tracking for the next several hundred frames.

It then banked again, and this time flew back past me against the backdrop of the Arch Rock hillside and the stunning fall colors.

As it flew off back toward the woods the Palm Warbler finally came into view for a couple of decent frames.

I walked down the road to Arch Rock where I picked up another Winter Wren calling nearby, but couldn't bring it into view. So I turned around and headed back toward Mission Point Resort along the shoreline. I chased another flock of White-crowned Sparrows, and what I thought was a photographable Song Sparrow turned out to be a Lincoln's Sparrow!

I'd then return to the room with another handful of hollyhock seeds and get Robin for a walk into town and lunch.

Mackinac Island State Park, Mackinac Island US-MI 45.85202, -84.60515, Mackinac, Michigan, US

Oct 7, 2026 9:23 AM - 10:43 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.267 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, breezy, 60F
13 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)  1
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  12
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  8
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)  1
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S400029394

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)