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Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior

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Rick Sussman

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Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:37:54 -0500

Hi Joanne,
First, whatever bird flew out of the hole was roosting there not nesting, though it may have nested there earlier in the season.  

As you describe it, the hole had grasses in it, but you don't mention how high up the tree the hole was. Regardless, the original hole was made by a woodpecker, a primary nester (it builds its own nest/hole), but since it was filled with grasses, it was likely last used by a secondary nester, one who utilizes nest cavities but does not excavate them. Woodpeckers don't really line their nests wiith grasses, mostly just woodchips as I understand it. So, based on the description of the bird that flew out, it may indeed have been a red-phase screech owl, but my guess would be Carolina Wren. 

A screech owl is about 8 1/2 inches long with a rather short tail, with no white in it. A Red-bellied Woodpecker is about 9 1/ 4 inches long, and a Carolina Wren is about 5 1/2 inches long, but also without white in the tail. But the wren is close to half the woodpeckers size, and perhaps you saw the white of the throat and/or the eye line in a flash as the bird flew out.

Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD






-----Original Message-----
From: Joanne Howl <>
To: 
Sent: Tue, Nov 3, 2009 12:36 pm
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior



About 10:30 AM this morning I was standing on Fox Point at SERC and heard the 
istinct sound of tundra swan.  It sounded like a small flock or a few birds in 
light.  My companion and I were not able to locate them and the sound soon 
isappeared.  We went up to Mayo Beach, usual winter home to a nice flock, but 
id not locate any.  

est bird at SERC today was a red-bellied woodpecker.  We located it because it 
as making very loud pounding sounds.  Turns out it was pecking on a very hollow 
rea in a tree.  It was digging a hole about six inches below and an inch or so 
ateral to a very nice round entry to a cavity nest.  I would guess the entry 
ole was about three inches in diameter – a bit bigger than a Red Bellied’s head 
ut smaller than his “shoulders”.  We watched the feeding behavior for a bit and 
ondered about the nest site, what species it might have belonged to.  The Red 
ellied’s bill sank very deep into the tree – it was quite a hole it had 
reated!  And all of a sudden a bird burst out of the nest hole!  The red 
ellied squawked and fluttered back.  Neither of us got a very good look at the 
ird from the cavity – it was smaller than a red-bellied, about ½ the size, was 
rown or reddish, had some white on a longish tail.  Guess my best guess would 
e a screech owl, but then again, I didn’t think “owl” when I saw the burst.  So 
 dunno. 

he red bellied returned and pecked at the hole it had created.  It began to 
ull out bits of grasses – had to be nesting material!  It seemed to eat things, 
oo.  I don’t know if it was after eggs, after bugs living in the nesting 
aterial or what it was eating, actually, but I did think it was eating things.  
very once in awhile it would skitter up to the cavity hole and look inside – 
ust peeking in, never sticking the whole head in.  Then it would go and peck at 
ts "feeding" hole.  It was uncharacteristically quiet the entire time we 
bserved the bird – maybe ten minutes.  

nother red-bellied flew in and there was a flutter of wings; one bird flew 
way.  I believe it was a new bird that stayed, because it had a loose feather 
n it’s head, fluttering.  The first bird had a nice smooth head!  The second 
ird, after having run off the first, was quite noisy.  It went and poked in the 
mall hole, then peered in the big hole a few times, back and forth.  It 
hattered and looked around, without getting engaged in pulling anything out of 
he small hole, or feeding.  Then it flew away, muttering loudly.  

re Red Bellieds known to predate the nests of other cavity dwellers?  Any 
uesses on the cavity-bird?  I guess I wonder if there were eggs the Red Bellied 
as after.  I did not see him with shell, however, but he did stick his bill in 
nd lingered there for a moment or two at times – feeding or probing, I guess.  
ny ideas or comments? 

oanne

Joanne Howl, DVM 
est River, MD