Anyone any idea who is responsible for this? I thought woodpecker but it is no more than 5 feet off the ground. The tree is cherry.
What did this?
- Thread starter treadlightly
- Start date
I did an image search for "woodpecker holes in trees" through google and some of the images it throws out look like pretty big holes and suspiciously similar to OP's photo.
Going on the teeth marks in the area I've circled it's more likely to be a rodent like squirrel than a woodpecker
An idea of the size hole would help towards identifying the culprit
An idea of the size hole would help towards identifying the culprit
I still say pecker
In that case what woodpecker has a beak that can leave multiple parallel chiseled lines on a hard wood?
Gotcha.
https://mnprairieroots.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/maple-syrup-drilling-tree.jpg
Could be a maple tree.
https://mnprairieroots.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/maple-syrup-drilling-tree.jpg
Could be a maple tree.
In that case what woodpecker has a beak that can leave multiple parallel chiseled lines on a hard wood?
Its just that all the squizzer holes ive ever seen tend to be in a natural weakness in the tree like where a branch has been cast away.
I reckon there's evidence of both there. Looks like it was started by a woodpecker as the outer area is rough and shredded. The fresh work (lighter inner area) has definitely been gnawed by a rodent of some kind.
Often but not always - the Greater Spotted Woodpecker family that I have been watching for several generations always bores into solid wood faces between branches.
One nest was raided by squirrels, one taken over byTreecreepers.
perhaps it was done by homo sapiens, woodpeckers tap trees to feed or mark territory and most woody holes seem to be in decaying trees (which hold plenty of food) and favoured trees usually have a few holes which are usually much higher than 5'. Incidentally 'homo sapiens' are the latin words meaning ''wise man'', so if some person was responsible for that hole i can think of a far less flattering word to describe them.
Yea dont disagree John, i was referring to squirrels going for the natural weakness
The hole is about 2-2.5 inches in diameter. I didn't notice any bird droppings but didn't look that hard either. What surprised me was how low down it was for either woodpecker or squirrel. I thought they normally chose sites much higher and therefore safer. Next time I go there I'll examine it more closely.
I'm going to say both Woodpecker and Squirrel. The little tree rats took a hole left by a Woodpecker in the side facia board and enlarged it enough that they now get in and run round the void space in our living room ceiling. I've complained to the magagement but they don't seem interested in evicting the buggers.
