Day 46 - Of rainbows and woodpeckers

On my walk back home, I stopped by at the little lake where the ducks usually are, but they weren't there.  I was wondering what I'd do for the photo of the day when I caught a slight movement in one of the trees as I was passing by it.  The sun kept slipping in and out of the clouds, so there wasn't a lot of light to see by.  And then I spotted Woody!

This was my first encounter with a woodpecker.  I've seen them from a distance, but never this close.  And the most surprising part was that it just didn't mind my standing there and clicking away.  In fact, it flew down to one of the lower branches so I could get a better view!  Amazing little guy and it's pecker was going at roughly 1500 p/s (that's 1500 pecks per second!  Well.. it's head just seemed like a blur, so I couldn't really count that accurately ;-) ).  I was really impressed!

I shot at higher ISOs at times, because I had to get a fast shutter speed since it kept getting overcast and dark and I could barely get that guy to rest for a second between the frenetic pecking.  I also used the flash a couple of times to freeze motion, but then decided to bump up the ISO instead.  I have to admit I'm not at all happy with the noise-levels at higher ISOs. Something tells me I'm going to part with my camera soon.  I'm also seriously thinking of a macro lens, although at 100 mm I have to be close enough to the subject.  Don't know what I should do.  I can see myself as more of a Nature photographer than anything else.  But what do you call someone who loves Nature but hibernates during the winter months?  A badger?  A bear?  A skunk? :=O

Going at 15 p/s

And oh, yes! I also got to see a rainbow, but the shots didn't turn out that well!