Checkerboard sighting: Red-Headed Woodpecker

Special thanks to a dear friend, Lee Ann Overman, who gave me the “heads up” notice about the upcoming deadline for the Natural Heritage Project. This Project is focused on showcasing art that reflects the significance of migratory birds along the St. Croix River Valley. Five years ago, my husband, Paul, and I moved to a lake community near Balsam Lake, WI, to renovate a neglected cabin. With our house nestled in a mature maple forest, we were elated one day to discover a surprise visitor at our birdfeeder. When I called my mom to tell her the news, her response was: “I thought the Red-Headed Woodpecker was extinct!” We’re so thankful it’s not and over the subsequent summers, we’ve hosted both parents and fledglings of this beautiful bird family at our feeders. This week’s painting, Red Headed, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the endangered Red-Headed Woodpecker with its distinctive, checkerboard markings.