We have noticed areas that Hairy Woodpeckers have done this in many different counties of Minnesota. Generally we hope for a black backed, etc but if we look around for awhile and return to the site enough times we invariably find a Hairy Woodpecker doing the stripping. We presume it has to do with the food items available in that particular area. Possibly ants, etc. from a close ant mound or whatever.
It does not appear to be a common phenomenon but we do see it at least 3-4 times a year. Dennis and Barbara Martin [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Weston" <[email protected]> To: "mnbird" <[email protected]>; "Mou-net" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 12:06 AM Subject: [mou] Woodpecker Evidence > while doing the Hastings CBC today, I found about ten trees at Schaar's Bluff near Hastings that appeared to have had their > bark scaled off by a woodpecker. These deciduous trees were all about three to five inches in diameter and had all the bark > removed from the base of the tree to about ten to fifteen feet high. The chisel marks from what appeared to be the bill of > a woodpecker were clearly visible. The shavings of most, if not all, were ontop of the snow, indicating that the removal of > the bark was recent. > > I am aware that both Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers scale the bark. Neither of these would be expected. There is > one record of a Black-backed Woodpecker in Dakota County, and one of a Three-toed not far across the river. Do any of the > other woodpeckers methodically strip the bark off of a tree? > > Steve Weston on Quigley Lake in Eagan > [email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > mou-net mailing list > [email protected] > http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net >
