On Saturday I had wanted to take a quick walk just to say I did so and to get out of the house for a few minutes. My time outside is precious lately, but then again - so is my health. Instead of walking our standard 'right-turn out of the driveway', we took a left instead. Call it out of the box thinking or something. We typically don't go that way because it involves crossing a rather busy intersection on a rather busy road to return to peaceful meandering on a country road. It just so happened that there was no traffic so we buzzed straight across.
We hadn't made it 50 feet up the street when I glanced into the woods to my left and my jaw dropped onto the ground. There stood the shoddiest looking excuse of a Pine Tree I'd ever seen right in the middle of a stand of very large ad regal looking specimins. For months I've heard the Pileated Woodpeckers calling each other and pounding away at 'something', I believe I had just found that 'something'. The poor tree held all the signs of a Pileated ambush, from the large chiseled out holes to the remnants of the Carpenter Ant 'sawdust' under the bark. Sunday monkey and I returned to capture the evidence, and now I know where to look when I hear the typical "cuk, cuk, cuk" call (I call it their laughter) and that incessant pounding! It's funny that it's so close to the edge of the road too, obviously a hungry bird doesn't care about car exhaust.
We hadn't made it 50 feet up the street when I glanced into the woods to my left and my jaw dropped onto the ground. There stood the shoddiest looking excuse of a Pine Tree I'd ever seen right in the middle of a stand of very large ad regal looking specimins. For months I've heard the Pileated Woodpeckers calling each other and pounding away at 'something', I believe I had just found that 'something'. The poor tree held all the signs of a Pileated ambush, from the large chiseled out holes to the remnants of the Carpenter Ant 'sawdust' under the bark. Sunday monkey and I returned to capture the evidence, and now I know where to look when I hear the typical "cuk, cuk, cuk" call (I call it their laughter) and that incessant pounding! It's funny that it's so close to the edge of the road too, obviously a hungry bird doesn't care about car exhaust.
The Pileateds are obviously having a field day with this tree - these are taken from the West side
These are on the North and East sides
Monkey learned about Carpenter Ants and how to determine if they are present
Pictures taken from the road looking into the woods, then back at the incredibly busy intersection/road
So cool Renee. Pileated Woodpeckers are one of my favorite birds. It will be interesting to see what their intent will be on that tree. I had a Pileated pair nest in a tree that looked similar to that in that it was in pretty rough shape, but I think they like that for some resaon
ReplyDeleteClassic oblong holes in the pithy wood of the tree. We have a family of Pileated Woodpeckers who live on the ridge across the road from us. Late in the summer, the whole family visits our blueberry bushes and devours evey berry they can find.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photographs!
I never thought of them nesting in the tree, how absolutely cool would that be? They visit the backyard in the summer here too, but I've yet to see them in my blueberries - then again the Bluebirds and Robins tend to scoff those right up!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to keep watching the tree for signs.
wow...they really worked on that tree! Such huge holes.
ReplyDeleteI need to go check on it this weekend. I'm sure it's been worked up even more since!
ReplyDelete