Woodpecker excavation

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Woodpecker excavation

January 28, 2015 by Mike Powell

In the distance I could hear the sound of a woodpecker busily at work. It took a little while for me to finally spot the woodpecker, but eventually I caught sight of him and watched him as he pecked away.

I was happy to be able to identify the bird as a Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), a fairly common species in my marshland park. I was surprised, however, to note that the woodpecker was excavating a cavity that was already large enough to contain its entire head.

I know that Red-bellied Woodpeckers make their nests in cavities and wonder if this might be an early stage of building a nest. Could the bird merely be building a storage area for food? I have lots of questions and multiple possible explanations for what I saw but don’t really have any answers. I think that I remember where I saw the woodpecker and may try to find the tree again and check to see if I can tell whether the woodpecker has worked more to enlarge the cavity in the tree.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, excavation, Huntley Meadows Park, Melanerpes carolinus, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto, woodpecker | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on January 28, 2015 at 8:04 am | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

I was just watching a red bellied woodpecker pecking away at a tree in my garden while drinking my morning tea and then I picked up my phone and read this. I rarely saw woodpeckers back home in Scotland so I am delighted to be seeing them and watching their behaviour.
on January 28, 2015 at 8:17 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

That’s the trick-finding that one tree again in a forest of many, but it can be done.
- on January 29, 2015 at 5:17 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  It definitely will be a challenge to find that tree again, now that I think about it. The broken-off trunk may make it easier to find, but I fear that there may be a lot more similar trees than I realize.
on January 28, 2015 at 9:18 am | Reply Jet Eliot

Great photos, Michael. That snag looks like a popular hangout. 😉
on January 28, 2015 at 12:27 pm | Reply Sue

I agree with Allen. I often have good intentions of finding that hole I saw a woodpecker excavating only to get confused in finding it again by the emergence of leaves, or fallen beanches, etc.
on January 29, 2015 at 5:50 am | Reply krikitarts

I always feel privileged when woodpeckers allow me to get close enough for good shots. This one must have trusted you quite a bit, a nice compliment!
- on January 29, 2015 at 6:27 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I hope that the woodpecker trusted me, but I was actually a pretty good ways away for the shots. With my new 150-600mm lens, I have a whole lot more reach than I used to have and if the light is pretty good, I can get some decent photos at a distance.
on February 1, 2015 at 7:35 am | Reply Marie Keates

Ah, find the same spot again…easier said than done 🙂