Bruce and Andi Laidlaw have been over at Barnes Park on the cross-country ski trails. Bruce writes: The pileated work done on this tree in Barnes Park is the most extensive I have seen. So the question is “Why do they do it?” This is a live tree. There are no bugs in the middle of it. The new apartment complex is big enough for some critters, but the pileateds seem to have no interest in living inside. I think they just are showing off.
He got Andi to provide the scale figure so you can see just how big the demonstration project is. My theory is that the pileated pounders are Developers. As they had a beak-ready project, they secured ARRA funding for a mix of moderate-income and market-rate housing. This begs the question: Does Zoning Administrator Bill Briggs know about this?
Torch Lake Views 
flandrumhill
February 22, 2010
Those woodpeckers peck to establish territory. I think this one’s certainly established his by now.
Gerry
February 22, 2010
I have a feeling there are as many reasons for woodpecker drilling as there are woodpeckers. Nest building, grocery shopping, news announcements, the dating game–all the old stories, told again in their hammering.
Jay
February 22, 2010
A male? red-headed woodpecker made a nest in the top of a dead tree in our back yard in Florida some years ago. Then he “drummed” for a mate. Each year they had a nest in the tree, and each year after the baby had left, they cut the tree off below the nest. Eventually the tree was lowered from about 80 feet tall to about 40 feet. Then the tree fell over, and the woodpecker couple moved on. We had the pleasure of watching the adults and babies learn how to eat seeds from our bird feeder. First they carried the seeds to a tree and beat on the tree to get the seeds down. Eventually they learned how to eat the seeds while hanging on the bird feeder. Other birds stayed out of their pecking range while they shared the bird feeder.
Gerry
February 22, 2010
That’s amazing, Jay. I guess it’s lucky the woodpeckers took the tree down in sections before it fell on your house.
Scott Thomas Photography
February 23, 2010
This is certainly not nesting behavior. Looks like some big time territorial drumming. Must be a good area for pileated woodpeckers.
Gerry
February 23, 2010
I am certainly not the one who would know. I’m just proud of myself because I know these holes are from the pileated ‘peckers. I’m wondering, though, whether the extent of these doesn’t mean that there are, in fact, lots of insects in this tree. Seems like territorial drumming would be spread out a bit, sort of establishing a perimeter, if you will. But maybe not. I’m just speculating. Stan Tekiela says the pileateds do nest in holes like this, with multiple entrances, but I’m pretty sure he means holes farther up. These seem much too close to the ground to be easily defended. Again, just speculating.
Cindy Lou
February 23, 2010
Wow! We have some crazy woodpeckers, but none that have done that kind of holes!
I wonder if Kathy’s love-struck robin will come back this year?!?!
Gerry
February 23, 2010
Hm. Better the lovestruck robin than a lovestruck woodpecker!
These particular holes are characteristic of pileated woodpeckers. They’re much larger than other woodpeckers, and a lot of fun to watch. I should have put links in this post to begin with, but I was lazy. Here they are: Portraits of Pileated Woodpeckers, this one by Bruce and this one by Katherine.
Smaller woodpeckers, like the downies that frequent my house, leave smaller and rounder holes. I would show you pictures of the ones they’ve left in my siding, but it depresses me.