red-headed woodpecker nest

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By Jordan Lake Neighborhood: Woodpecker and Flicker, 8 photos 5/23/2019
Jordan Lake Neighborhood
 
The red-headed woodpecker often drills more than one nest cavity before deciding which one to use.
The northern yellow-shafted flicker can chisel out its own cavity but is not adverse to stealing a site.
The red-headed woodpecker had made 3 holes on one side of the tree and 1 hole on the opposite side.
The flicker didn’t care which one she got, she was just determined to take a cavity for herself.
I don’t know who won the dispute, yet.

By Jordan Lake Neighborhood: Red-headed Woodpecker Nest Building, 4 photos 05-08-2019
Red-headed Woodpecker Nest Cavity Progress
 
The male red-headed woodpecker does most of the drilling and excavating.
Because of the loss of habitat, this woodpecker has been on a steady decline and is now on the Watch List.
Our woods around Jordan Lake provide them with the pine snags needed for their nest cavities.
 
Here you can see the beginning of the cavity.
 
 
A wood chip goes flying past the woodpecker’s left shoulder.
 
 
Here is a great view of the cavity.  He will finish the cavity in the next couple of weeks and his mate will lay her eggs.
 
 
Away he goes, chasing a bug for a snack.