Home Sweet Home...

This is the third year that I've watched this Pileated Woodpecker pair work on this nest cavity. The entry hole is maybe 35-40 ft up in a dead pine tree. ( a major reason to leave tree 'snags' in place when at all possible). Their pine snag 'home' is in a front yard and I'm not certain that the homeowner is even aware that the woodpeckers are nesting in it. I'm able to photograph it from the street. For two years this pair worked on preparing the nest but then, for reasons only they know, abandoned the nest site. Perhaps the third year is the charm. The opening faces west, so the lighting is better for photos in the late afternoon, when Fletch and I take our second walk. 
As you view these photos, keep in mind that the male Pileated has a red 'mustache' and the female does not. Fletcher and I have our fingers and toes crossed that we'll be able to get some shots of baby Pileated woodpeckers this season! m