Saw an interesting and, to me, comical sight this afternoon in Brunswick (MD).  While checking out/pricing some fencing, I heard a Pileated call from somewhere nearby.  It was in a locust (?) adjacent to the road between the cemetery and the CO-OP.  At first it was doing its normal woodpecker thing of checking out the tree for insects.  Then it flew to the neighboring tree that had a poison ivy vine in profusion growing up its trunk.  I watched fascinated while this “huge” bird spent the better part of five minutes chowing down on poison ivy berries.  I know birds eat these berries, but I always associated this proclivity with the “dinky” birds.  Just goes to show, you can learn something every day…

Jim Speicher
Jspeicher—at—niaid.nih.gov
Rockville @work :(
Broad Run_S. FRED Co @home :)