A Cozy One-Bedroom with Great View

This may look like an ordinary dead tree, but it’s actually the residence of at least one pair of birds.  Way up in the topmost branch, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and his mate have laid claim to some interior space and are in the process of renovating.  (They’re too small to see in the photo, but you can take my word for it.)

I spied them this weekend while exploring my favorite nature center.  The male popped in and out of the tree cavity several times, and with each reappearance from within he spewed excess sawdust and debris.  The missus kept a close eye on him from a nearby branch… I’m sure she was in charge of quality control.