I looked up to see what was making the noise in the pine tree above me and saw a very young woodpecker, not fully feathered, flapping its wings and calling for food.

An adult came and perched for a second beside the youngling before flying to the next pine tree. Then, with what looked like a large effort, the chick hurled itself out in the air to follow the adult, calling loudly the whole time.

I wonder how satisfying it must be for the youngster to capture and eat its first dinner on its own? Once it has moved through this difficult adjustment, it's a new bird.