Red-cockaded Woodpecker at the Sandhills Nature Preserve
One of my favorite bird encounters so far this year was getting a great look at the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the Weymouth Woods-Sandhill Nature Preserve in Southern Pines, NC.
These neat little Woodpeckers are on the endangered species list because of the steep grade of habitat decline, due to deforestation of the mature long leaf Pine trees that they depend on for nesting. The Weymouth Woods Preserve is a very special place located in the heart of N.C. as it boasts a significant number of breeding Red-cockaded Woodpeckers who nest in the stand of old growth pines located within the preserve. While a visit here does not necessarily guarantee a sighting of this rare bird your chances of spotting one or significantly increased, especially this time of year!
To go see them for yourself, get there early in the morning as soon as the preserve opens to avoid the crowds and the heat.
One of the best parts about living in central North Carolina is the opportunity to see all kinds of incredible birds in the springtime. In addition to the migratory species moving through, we’ve got access to view a small number of endangered species as they enter their breeding season.
Recently I took a quick trip to the Weymouth woods Preserve near Pinehurst N.C. to see if I could grab some photos and video of the endangered Red cockaded Woodpecker. Happily, I was not disappointed!
Shortly upon arrival, I found a nest in an old Long-leaf Pine tree and had the opportunity to watch a pair of woodpeckers flying in and out of their tree as they fed the nestlings inside. Check out the video below!
Unlike most North American woodpeckers, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are a social species that live in family groups with a highly developed, cooperative breeding system. This also makes them unique amongst all bird species–only 3% of bird species breed in this manner. Another interesting behavior to note is that these woodpeckers use a group of trees, known as a “cluster”, to develop nesting/ roosting cavities en mass. Family groups generally consist of 2–6 birds with one monogamous breeding pair and 1–4 helpers. The helpers are typically the pair’s male offspring from the previous breeding season, who have delayed their own reproduction in order to help their parents in raising their siblings. The family group grows in size during the course of the breeding season with the hatching and fledgling of new young.
Red cockaded Woodpecker at the Weymouth Woods Preserve
Red cockaded Woodpeckers are adapted to mature, living, open-pine forests. It is estimated that there are about 6,000 groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers, or 15,000 birds from Florida to Virginia and west to southeast Oklahoma and eastern Texas, representing about 1 percent of the woodpecker’s original range.
The Red-cockaded is the only woodpecker which excavates cavities exclusively in living pine trees. Cavity trees that are being actively used have numerous, small resin wells which exude sap. The birds keep the sap flowing apparently as a cavity defense mechanism against rat snakes and possibly other predators. The typical territory for a group ranges from about 125 to 200 acres. Habitat loss and degradation have greatly reduced its range and negatively affected this species, which has been considered Federally Endangered since 1968.
Seeing these lovely birds in the wild was absolutely thrilling! I’m so glad that I was able to photograph them at the Weymouth Woods Preserve.
By: Mary Erickson of Birds of a Feather Walk Together
January is my birthday month, and I made a very specific gift request to my Dear One: that he help me find a new life bird–the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Road trip!
“The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. Its habitat—old pines with very little understory—was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. The birds dig cavities in living pines softened by heartwood rot. They live in family groups that work together to dig cavities and raise young. The species declined drastically as its original habitat was cut down, and the species was listed as Endangered in 1970. “
The Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve is a 90 minute drive south of us, in Southern Pines, North Carolina. However we got a rather late start for a birding adventure, and arrived at the Preserve at 11 a.m., where we learned that the Red-cockaded Woodpecker is here in the morning, then leaves FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, and returns in the evening and immediately goes to bed. So we made a plan:
• Explore the trail near the visitor center
• Go into town for lunch
• Go somewhere else to bird for an hour or two
• Return at 3 p.m. to see target bird
Trails in the Sandhills are exceptionally comfortable for hiking!
The day was overcast, and the trees are tall, so we spent a LOT of time with this view. And it’s NOON, which is not the “birdiest” time of day.
Nevertheless:
Siri, I’m hungry.Well, we can’t have that. Here’s what I found.
We can now highly recommend The Leadmine in Southern Pines. And yes, that’s a New York Sour, because it’s my birthday and I’m not driving.
After lunch we headed to the Boyd section of the Preserve, and did a 1-mile loop around The Oldest Living Long-Leaf Pine tree on the planet.
There were woodpeckers, but not our target bird.
We also saw evidence of a recent controlled burn, which takes the place of the historical lightning fires which maintain the desired habitat.
Then back to the main center at 3:00 p.m., where we began walking back and forth along a stretch of trail looking for the woodpecker to return to its nest site. The trees with existing cavities are helpfully marked–but they are spread out and numerous.
So many nesting holes!!!
And then, at 4:40 p.m. I hear the husky squeak squeak squeak, see a woodpecker, check it out with the bins, grab the camera for a photo, my Dear One who is away at a different stand of trees, and 20 seconds later the bird pops into his hole and has gone to bed.
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker!!!
Three minutes later, my best friend arrives, way too late to see a bird that was only there for 20 seconds. He never saw it. But was so happy that I did, for my birthday.
And that, my friends, is love.
Author Bio: Mary Erickson is an accomplished North Carolina birder, blogger and photographer. You can view her stunning photography and read all about her adventures in birding the Tarheel State at Birds of a Feather Walk Together
A few weeks ago, I went birding at Weymouth Woods in Southern Pines, N.C. What an interesting environment to explore!
After about a 1/4 down the trail, I spotted 3 male Eastern Towhees singing in the brush and finally saw a Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Here’s a pic of one of the Towhees and my eBird list. Looking forward to making a return trip in November!
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