Article and Photographs submitted on 3/31/2022 by Scott Brinckerhoff
Here are two shots from this morning’s visit by a pileated woodpecker.
The devastation caused by gypsy moths and emerald ash borers killed oaks and other trees throughout our region, but birds like this pileated woodpecker are finding a bonanza of insect life in the dead wood. This male was hammering away at a tree on the edge of Cockaponset forest and later moved to another oak, shown here, and began excavating a nesting cavity. He was joined briefly by his mate, but whether she approved of his efforts isn’t clear yet.