I just observed an odd thing in the woods behind my house. I was sitting in
a favorite spot when I heard a Douglas squirrel give its chrrrr call. I
looked over towards the sound and a squirrel was in a tree directly across,
and perhaps 10 feet from a Pileated Woodpecker that was on another tree. The
woodpecker was waving its bill back and forth, as if shaking its head saying
no. The squirrel, chattering the whole time, climbed down the tree it was
in, crossed over and began climbing up the tree that contained the Pileated.
The Woodpecker then flew about 50 yards away, across the dry creek to
another tree. To my surprise, the squirrel, chipping and chirring away,
followed it. On the ground of course, running along fallen logs, and running
pretty fast. It went up the tree with the woodpecker which then flew and
landed in the tree directly in front of where I was sitting, which was
again, a good 60-75 yards from the previous location. The woodpecker then
did the wicka wicka call, shaking its head. The squirrel went ballistic with
a flurry of loud and forceful chirring. Then the squirrel ran at top speed
towards the woodpecker again. Before the squirrel got about halfway to its
target, the woodpecker flew right over the squirrel, making the wicka wicka
call. The squirrel, who was on a fallen log, jumped up and down all four
feet in the air at once, while yelling his head off. I lost sight of the
woodpecker being so astonished by the antics of the squirrel. The squirrel
took off in the direction the woodpecker flew and I lost it from view.

Whatever their argument was, it kept going as I continued to hear the
squirrel for the next half hour and I also heard and saw the woodpecker a
bit later. What an odd encounter, the like of which I have never seen.

Rob Sandelin
South Snohomish County at the headwaters of Ricci Creek
Sky Valley Environments <http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm>
Field skills training for student naturalists
Floriferous at msn.com