Wildlife Turf Battle

For a while this late summer and fall I have been watching a pileated woodpecker hole. Some days there is action, some days all is quiet. As I watched the hole this afternoon I saw nothing for a long time… just an empty hole.

Then, much to my dismay, a fox squirrel popped its head out of the hole to look around. Its timing coincided with a pileated woodpecker announcing its approach to the hole.

Knowing a squirrel was in the hole with the pileated woodpecker soon approaching, I expected things would get interesting. The male pileated woodpecker came in as it usually does. The woodpecker does not enter the hole until he has inspected and approved the spot is safe. He repeated that pattern tonight.

Unlike previous observations, today the woodpecker was hesitant and did not enter the hole. He appeared to suspect something was not right, but maybe was not sure. He looked from side to side and all around.

Then it happened… the squirrel pushed toward the woodpecker. I did not see the squirrel attempting to leave. Instead, I witnessed a battle of which animal was going to spend the night in the hole in the tree. (It was dark and the action happened fast resulting in blurring in portions of the images.)

The pileated woodpecker was not going to give up without a fight. He lunged forward at the squirrel claiming his hole.

When the squirrel did not vacate the hole in the hickory tree, the turf-battle was over. Mr. Woodpecker flew away and did not return.

Time will tell if the pileated woodpecker regains its hole in the tree. I am sure this is not the first squirrel/woodpecker conflict to occur. I certainly did not expect the pileated to give up so quickly. Soon enough I will know if my pileated photo sessions are finished, at least at this tree. I hope not…this has been fun.