Hi All,

I found a HAIRY WOODPECKER (HAWO) nest tree near my house and spent a couple of hours over two evenings photographing the comings and goings of mom and dad bearing food. The chicks - a male and a female - are pretty large already and keep the adults quite busy, although they seem to have plentiful food nearby. [For some reason, HAWO's in the woods near my house outnumber the usually more numerous Downy Woodpeckers.]

The nest cavity actually has two separate entrance holes. The male chick and female chick station themselves at separate entrances during the feeding process, presumably to minimize competition for food and avoid a tight squeeze. Between the chicks constant loud begging for food and the adults calls as they return to the nest tree, the stretch of woods isn't exactly quiet. However, while shooting this evening, another 11 species wandered into view (or called recognizably) so it was quite a worthwhile hour or so. The visitors that made an appearance included three swallow species (Barn, Violet Green and Tree) and a pair of Swainson's Thrush that landed in an open spot with great light, but of course flew off before I had swung the camera gear around.

Hopefully I'll be able to catch some of the post-fledging antics of the young shortly as well.

An image of the female adult and male chick can be found at http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=3852469&cat=38983.

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com