Woodpecker Nest, 1

Building a nest is a time-consuming job for any bird. Imagine the dedication required for a pair of woodpeckers as they take on the task of drilling and excavating a cavity in a tree trunk to use as a nest…

Recently, quite by accident, I discovered a pair of woodpeckers preparing a nest in a cluster of trees behind my neighbor’s house. These Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) preferred a dead tree trunk and were comfortable being close to humans.

Here’s the male Red-bellied Woodpecker perched at the top of the dead tree trunk. Note his distinct red head stripe and patterned back…

Below is the male in front of the nest hole, which had an opening about 3 inches wide.

The female Red-bellied Woodpecker looks different. She lacks the red coloration on top of her head.

Throughout the month of June, both male and female prepared the nest and incubated the eggs (from one to six). Often one parent was inside while the other remained outside…

Eventually, a single head began to appear regularly at the cavity opening, although there were probably several nestlings inside, waiting to be fed…

Here’s Mama Woodpecker on one of many feedings, transferring a berry to her offspring…

Here’s the first fledgling to leave, bouncing among the nearby branches, having found a berry on its own…

In no time, the cavity was empty and nesting was completed. Abandoned nest cavities are often occupied by a new pair of birds, often of another species. Here’s a Carolina Chickadee inspecting one of the holes in the nest tree…

Here are some other posts about woodpeckers:

• Two Woodpeckers and a Sapsucker >>
• Woodpecker Nest, Part 2 >>