From my office desk I can watch a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers who have selected a dead palm tree right outside the window to hollow out a nest cavity. Remember, folks, dead trees can be a home to wildlife just as easily as a live one. Keep that in mind before you cut down that old snag you think is an eyesore.


For the past few weeks they have been diligently excavating the cavity, oftentimes with excavated material being tossed out to the ground.





The pair take turns from working on the cavity to forage through the nearby trees looking for insects.




We put up an inexpensive bird feeder and the Woodpeckers took right to it. Oftentimes the Woodpeckers swoop straight from their cavity to the feeder. The often hidden red belly of this Red-bellied Woodpecker can be seen as the bird fetches a peanut out of the feeder. This is the female since her red crest does not go all the way to her bill like the male’s does.

The Woodpeckers aren’t the only locals to enjoy the feeder. Here is a fine example of an Eastern Gray Squirrel caught in the act of climbing the bird feeder pole.