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Braved the rain and took a trip early yesterday morning to see if I could find some Red cockaded Woodpeckers at the Weymouth Woods Preserve in Pinehurst N.C. Big thanks to Gary at More then a Memory Photography @mtamemory for giving me a heads up that they were in the area! I was thrilled to find a nest in the woods and to be able to see these awesome little birds flying in and out of their tree as they fed their chicks. Interestingly, Red-cockaded woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, meaning multiple birds take care of the young. Females lay their eggs in the roost cavities of their male mates. The male and several helper birds, which are usually relatives of the breeding pair, incubate the eggs. The whole family sticks together while the young are raised. I also learned from Deborah Roy @deborahroyphotography that the USFWS paints some of the long leaf pines in the area with sap to encourage these endangered species to nest in this forest. At first, I thought that the tree featured in this video was the result of a natural excavation, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that this nest was indeed one of the number of trees that were painted with sap. Thanks for the insight Deborah! Always enjoy learning something new from my audience 🙂 Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc Canon 5Ds . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #ncoutdoors #ncnature #canonwildlife #ncwildlifephotographer #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #redcockadedwoodpecker #endangeredspecies #woodpecker #usfwsnationalwildliferefugesystem #birdersofyoutube #lovebirdsluvsbirds

A post shared by Bird Watching N.C. (@birdwatching_nc) on May 22, 2020 at 4:11am PDT