Beautifully Beginning Flight

As I place my finger on the shoot button, this pilleated woodpecker took off into flight, still tucking its claws in as my camera caught this image. It was not what I expected to see on my image screen, a wonderful and slightly breathtaking moment. Walking along the North Saskatchewan River, nearly April, the snow mostly gone, I notice the vibration of the upcoming growth. The river is still quite icy and in some places, I could walk on the ice close to shore. Up on the trail, peckings of different tones are surrounding me and there are many freshly dug holes in the trees. Pilleated woodpeckers are common in parts of the river valley. I see them often around Laurier Park. This bird has an interesting look, as it took off from its pecking when it spotted me.