Subject: [Tweeters] The Big Bad Woodpeckers
Date: May 14 15:47:18 2008
From: jd.333 at comcast.net - jd.333 at comcast.net


I was excited to have a female pileated woodpecker stop by yesterday, but then excitement turned into horror when she flew to a snag that's housing a brown creeper nest. Off went square-foot sized slabs of bark as the woodpecker blasted apart the tree. It got worse when, a few seconds later, the male pileated woodpecker arrived. The poor creepers had two giant woodpeckers hammering away just feet above their nest (which is under a very delicate slab of bark)! Luckily, they left soon after, sparing the nest--for now.

I assumed the female had escaped the nest when the woodpeckers arrived, so I waited a few minutes to see if she'd arrive to sit back on her eggs. To my amazement, I actually saw her climb OUT of the nest. She stayed in there the whole time, woodpeckers and all!

Joe Dlugo
Olympia