During the recent “Arctic blast” it got pretty cold, even here in central Florida. No where near as chilly as it got further north, but plenty cool for us. The cooler weather created some interesting birding opportunities. For one thing, the birds were especially hungry, so they were quite active. Among those hungry birds, was this pretty female pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). I watched her as she hunted insects on the branches in the two big live oak trees in my back yard. It was a clear, nearly cloudless morning, so there plenty of patches of sun shining on the tree branches. I noticed that on each branch she tended to gravitate towards the sunny patches. At first I thought perhaps she was cold and trying to warm up, but she never stayed in the sun very long and she was always busy pecking at the branches. Most animals warming themselves in the sun are still and relaxed, and sometimes they even get sleepy. Then it struck me. The insects that live under the tree bark were going to the warmest areas on the trees to keep themselves warm. My brilliant woodpecker was going where she knew the insects would be. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was experience, but I think that probably she could hear them moving around inside the tree in those areas.