This afternoon in Ottawa's Bell Arena Park, I came across a vocal Brown Creeper, and also had the good fortune of seeing a Pileated Woodpecker enter a tree cavity (something to follow up on for the Atlas during nesting season).
Most interesting, however, was a hemlock with an extensive amount of bark flaked off, littering the snow at the base. Black-backed Woodpecker came to mind as a potential culprit, especially since just a few minutes earlier I had heard a woodpecker call which I took to be a Hairy, even though it sounded a bit "soft". That being said, the tree could also have been the work of a porcupine, but I thought I would report the possibility of the woodpecker in case anyone nearby is interested in checking. I also took a couple of photos of the damage - if anyone familiar with Black-backed Woodpeckers would be willing to pass judgment on them, I will gladly e-mail them out for review. Good birding, Marcel Gahbauer Ottawa ON [EMAIL PROTECTED] Directions: Bell Arena park is a short distance southwest of the intersection of Highways 416 and 417 in the west end of Ottawa. From the east, take Hwy 417 to the Richmond Road exit, head west, turn left on Baseline, then right on Cedarview. At the first right, take the bridge across Hwy 416, and continue straight into the parking lot behind the school. From the west (via Hwy 417) or south (via Hwy 416), take the Acres Road exit, turn right at Acres, then right on Richmond, and follow the directions as above. Once in the park, walk southwest toward the centre of the forest - it was my first time in the park, so I'm afraid I can't provide any useful landmarks to the area of the possible Black-backed Woodpecker tree, but it stands out visibly from quite a distance. "Marcel Gahbauer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
