Red-bellied Woodpecker

Once one of my "nemesis" birds, I had gotten several halfway decent photos of these guys, but never a shot that really worked well for me.  In November 2007, I really learned to appreciate the Big Sioux Recreation Area, a state park right across the street.  I'd never had a lot of success birding there, but admit I often went to what I thought were greener pastures further away.   That November, I had tremendous success in the park, both for birding and photography, including this Red-bellied Woodpecker shot that is my favorite woodpecker photo of any species.

Photo taken on November 30th, 2007 at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon, South Dakota.