Oh yeah :)
At first a black speck on the horizon (with a Common Loon). And then that bright bill.
Found deceased on road; used gloves to handle for study photos and left the bird on-site after. I especially wanted to document those zygodactyl feet (pictured is a right foot) for gripping those vertical surfaces, as well as the stiff, downward-propping tail feathers that provide mechanical support to the body while pecking/ drilling.
These trees’ long swooping branches have become a familiar site on the peaks of the San Gabriels.