I have been posting my photos of different species I have encountered on the iNaturalist website. Many are species I have found here in the Metchosin Community.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&user_id=garryfletcher&verifiable=any
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Other woodpeckers have been using the suet feeder outside my window this winter but this was the first time I had seen the Pileated woodpecker here. The photo was taken hastily through the salt-sprayed window while at my desk, thus the blur! We often see and hear these woodpeckers in the summer as they like the large old fir and alder trees along the property.
Each year at this time of year we get a small number of sandhill cranes migrating over Southern Vancouver Island. Having grown up in Saskatchewan I was familiar with the migrating flocks with their characteristic warbling call. I was surprized to find that they also nested up the coast of British Columbia.
Today at noon we saw a pair right down in front of our house in the sheep pasture. Got a few hasty pictures:
This presentation by Krista Roessingh tells the story about one of their their nesting sites.
http://ecoreserves.bc.ca/2009/03/17/sandhill-crane-er-possibilities/