Red-bellied Woodpecker Nest No More – April 2, 2013

Nature can be cruel at times. I was so excited to watch these two Red-bellied Woodpeckers toiling away to build a nest cavity in a dead tree (thank you beavers) at Lake DoLittle. I was planning to visit often and take photos hoping to catch a youngster peeking out of the hole to be fed by a waiting parent.

Sorry, the photos are not that good. This was very far across the pond and my lens just couldn’t get very close.

It wasn’t meant to be. Just a few days later, I saw this …

I don’t know what happened. Wind? A raccoon? Some other predator? I just don’t know. But, I was sad for the birds. Next time I spot this, I will probably put a raccoon baffle on the base of the tree. Wish I had thought to do that this time, although I don’t know if it would have helped.