[mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County
Dennis/Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com
Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:29:59 -0600
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0196_01C6FC6A.8D4E7520
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hairy Woodpeckers have a very common practice of stripping bark from =
conifers just like black-backs and three-toeds. It is impossible to =
tell the tree markings apart. We have seen tree stripping in just about =
every conifer planting in the state when there is a dead or dying tree =
in the group. And we have watched a hairy strip bark multiple times in =
multiple places. =20
In the last couple of weekends Barb and I probably watched 15-20 =
black-backs and three-toeds strip bark from conifers on the North Shore. =
On at least one of those occasions there was a downy peeling bark just =
down from two three-toeds and on another occasion there was a hairy =
peeling bark just up from a black-backed.
We suspect that this tendency is not related to the species but more so =
to the prey that they are trying to get at to eat. Pine Bark Beetles or =
whatever you call them are just under the bark and by simple peeling the =
bark the woodpecker can get to the insect. Perhaps an entomologist (Pat =
?) can correct me on the exact species name. While this prey species is =
more common in northern Minnesota, home to the unusual woodpeckers, it =
is also common in conifer plantations in southern Minnesota. Thus you =
see evidence of bark peeling in southern Minnesota. Our normal =
woodpeckers in southern Minnesota would have a hard time peeling the =
bark off a typical hardwood tree, unless the tree or parts of it had =
been dead for awhile.
Bottom line is that you have to actually see the bird (as Bob did in =
Afton SP) to identify a possible northern woodpecker anywhere in the =
state.
Denny=20
Dennis and Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Steve Weston=20
To: Williams, Bob ; mou-net@cbs.umn.edu=20
Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net=20
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, =
Washington County
One of the things to watch for with Black-backed Woodpeckers (and =
Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in the area. Look =
for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped with the fresh =
bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will strip bark =
(the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and they don't =
tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. I am =
sure that we had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County two =
years ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never =
located. =20
Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2@comcast.net
------=_NextPart_000_0196_01C6FC6A.8D4E7520
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML dir=3Dltr><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hairy Woodpeckers have a very common practice of =
stripping=20
bark from conifers just like black-backs and three-toeds. It =
is=20
impossible to tell the tree markings apart. We have seen tree =
stripping in=20
just about every conifer planting in the state when there is a dead or =
dying=20
tree in the group. And we have watched a hairy strip bark multiple =
times=20
in multiple places. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>In the last couple of weekends Barb and I =
probably=20
watched 15-20 black-backs and three-toeds strip bark from conifers =
on the=20
North Shore. On at least one of those occasions there was a downy =
peeling=20
bark just down from two three-toeds and on another occasion there =
was a=20
hairy peeling bark just up from a black-backed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>We suspect that this tendency is not related to the =
species=20
but more so to the prey that they are trying to get at to =
eat. Pine=20
Bark Beetles or whatever you call them are just under the bark and by =
simple=20
peeling the bark the woodpecker can get to the insect. Perhaps an=20
entomologist (Pat ?) can correct me on the exact species =
name. While=20
this prey species is more common in northern Minnesota, home to the =
unusual=20
woodpeckers, it is also common in conifer plantations in southern=20
Minnesota. Thus you see evidence of bark peeling in southern=20
Minnesota. Our normal woodpeckers in southern Minnesota would have =
a hard=20
time peeling the bark off a typical hardwood tree, unless the tree or =
parts of=20
it had been dead for awhile.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bottom line is that you have to actually see the =
bird (as Bob=20
did in Afton SP) to identify a possible northern woodpecker anywhere in =
the=20
state.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Denny </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Dennis and Barbara Martin<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:dbmartin@skypoint.com">dbmartin@skypoint.com</A></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dsweston2@comcast.net =
href=3D"mailto:sweston2@comcast.net">Steve=20
Weston</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3DBXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM=20
href=3D"mailto:BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM">Williams, Bob</A> ; <A=20
title=3Dmou-net@cbs.umn.edu=20
href=3D"mailto:mou-net@cbs.umn.edu">mou-net@cbs.umn.edu</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A =
title=3Dmnbird@lists.mnbird.net=20
href=3D"mailto:mnbird@lists.mnbird.net">mnbird@lists.mnbird.net</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 29, 2006 =
11:50=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [mou] Black-backed =
Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One of the things to watch for with =
Black-backed=20
Woodpeckers (and Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in =
the=20
area. Look for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped =
with=20
the fresh bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will =
strip=20
bark (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and =
they don't=20
tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. =
I am=20
sure that we had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County =
two years=20
ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never =
located. =20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in =
Eagan, MN<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:sweston2@comcast.net">sweston2@comcast.net</A></FONT></DIV=
></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0196_01C6FC6A.8D4E7520--