tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post7547419591542813164..comments2024-02-29T22:20:01.456-08:00Comments on Union Bay Watch : A Full CircleLarry Hubbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-31760651534744106152017-04-23T07:46:05.876-07:002017-04-23T07:46:05.876-07:00nice postnice postlizahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06035184100892779826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-13278104554347244302017-01-22T13:46:17.340-08:002017-01-22T13:46:17.340-08:00great photos and updates! Thanks!great photos and updates! Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-48609847894677047982017-01-22T11:59:08.858-08:002017-01-22T11:59:08.858-08:00Thanks for the reply. I've seen that series o...Thanks for the reply. I've seen that series of photos and it is amazing how much work that they can do. The hole I saw was in green, healthy wood, in an apparently healthy tree. I've carved some wood myself so I know it took much more energy than chipping away rotten wood. It did penetrate to what looked like a soft core though, and it was low, so maybe the ants or termites were working their way up the center of the tree from the ground and it was worth the effort. Thanks for the great work and the insights on what you're seeing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-38087331964838670232017-01-22T05:47:12.290-08:002017-01-22T05:47:12.290-08:00Yes! I have seen them make large holes just for fo...Yes! I have seen them make large holes just for food. In soft wood I have seen them make holes large enough to climb into in 45 minutes. In a externally healthy cedar tree, with harder wood, I estimate it takes about twice as long to make a similar sized hole. The bottomline is if there is an ant or ant larva chamber inside a tree they sense the food and go for it - which explains the taper. Once they reach the actual site they can use their tongues to reach around inside. I suspect that only if they sense more food beyond the reach of their tongues do they widen the hole beyond the tapered shape. Check out the holes in these photos:<br />http://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-river-of-wood.htmlLarry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-34353553859914246262017-01-21T21:37:38.916-08:002017-01-21T21:37:38.916-08:00I have seen numerous ~1/2, or 2x3, or 2x4 inch rec...I have seen numerous ~1/2, or 2x3, or 2x4 inch rectangular holes excavated by these birds, in cedar trees, but recently saw a huge ~6X8 inch or bigger hole in the side of a cedar tree that had a pileated woodpecker working on it. Have you seen any very large holes like this or is the one I saw just an aberration? It wasn't a cavity entrance it was just a tapered hole similar to the small holes. But it was huge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-46118254532324549572017-01-21T20:10:20.120-08:002017-01-21T20:10:20.120-08:00Thank you!Thank you!Larry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-9796015005679457172017-01-21T18:09:57.493-08:002017-01-21T18:09:57.493-08:00Thank you. Wonderful report.Thank you. Wonderful report.Judy Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16344586595082462857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-84842176957262643032017-01-21T16:50:05.219-08:002017-01-21T16:50:05.219-08:00Chris,
Wonderful! It is great to hear that my effo...Chris,<br />Wonderful! It is great to hear that my efforts are helping to raise awareness of our wild neighbors. <br />I should have mentioned in this post how the dead alder snags that the pileated have nested in, for the last two years, have both fallen over. Alder trees may not be on the prime horticulture list but the woodpeckers sure could use some more in the pipeline. Planting new alders now will help your children to find nesting pileated woodpeckers - in the city - when they grow up. Thanks for following along!<br />LarryLarry Hubbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346591926338103362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7340068615976654326.post-606684198718600932017-01-21T14:50:47.776-08:002017-01-21T14:50:47.776-08:00Larry, your blog is a treasure. Thank you for doin...Larry, your blog is a treasure. Thank you for doing it every week. I visit a lot of the same places you do but I have poor vision and my two small kids scaring all the birds away. One of these days I'll actually see one of these birds and thanks to you I'll know them!chrismealyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05591805477096884764noreply@blogger.com