Tidy Perfection

Black and White Photograph of a Pileated WoodPecker by Robert David Atkinson. 

"A majestic female Pileated Woodpecker visited our yard today. I had never seen her this close to the house before. Her plumage, a striking combination of black and white, was crowned with a vivid red crest that seemed to glow. She landed on an oak stump, a tree we had taken down many years ago, and I watched as she began to peck, her powerful beak striking the bark with a rhythmic intensity. Yet, there was something desperate in her actions, an urgency that spoke of hunger. I realized our efforts to eradicate insects had left her struggling to find the beetles and grubs she depended on. Once alive with buzzing and chirping, the yard had fallen silent, a victim of our need for tidy perfection." – RDA