Pileated woodpecker trying to get a drink?

[Homestead Maple]

I wondered if a pileated woodpecker made these marks in a rock maple trying to get some sap to get a drink. In one of the pictures there are light cross marks in the wood like a beak scraping the wood.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Porcupine?

[mspina14]

I came across this tree in my woodlot while setting taps back in January.

16471

Apparently, the birds in my woods have acquired heavy weapons. And learned how to use them!


Mark

[Russell Lampron]

That looks like porcupine damage to me.

[Homestead Maple]

[QUOTE=Russell Lampron;333912]That looks like porcupine damage to me.[/QUOTE

Could be. I didn't know they could climb a small tree up to a height of 5 - 8 feet.

[Homestead Maple]

1647816479


Mark, I have the same in my woods.

[mspina14]

[QUOTE=Russell Lampron;333912]That looks like porcupine damage to me.[/QUOTE

Could be. I didn't know they could climb a small tree up to a height of 5 - 8 feet.

Actually, the damage on the tree is about 10-15 feet above the ground.

Can Porcupines climb a tree that high?

Mark

[mspina14]

1647816479


Mark, I have the same in my woods.

Hmmm. Looks like the same kind of damage. Same shaped holes and same depth.

Do you think it's from a bird or porcupine (or something else)?

Mark

[Sunday Rock Maple]

[QUOTE=mspina14;334039][QUOTE=Homestead Maple;334031]

Actually, the damage on the tree is about 10-15 feet above the ground.

Can Porcupines climb a tree that high?


One falling out of a 90 foot white pine accelerates at 32 feet per second per second........

[OldManMaple]

1648016481

I get a lot of damage from porcupine. I would say that is what it was. They cling to the tree and chew the crap out of drops. This one died of lead poisoning.

[wally]

Hmmm. Looks like the same kind of damage. Same shaped holes and same depth.

Do you think it's from a bird or porcupine (or something else)?

Mark

russ was likely responding to the OP, not you, when commenting on the damage-creator. the holes in the trees in your pictures were not made by a porcupine, they were made by a woodpecker (not a pileated).


porcupines are quite capable tree climbers, and spend a significant portion of their lives in trees, even small trees.

wally

[Zucker Lager]

We have both here in our area. The picture of the poplar tree was drilled by a pileated woodpecker we know because they nest in our woods near our house and we watch them work on our trees all the time. When porkies eat they clean the bark off smaller branches on mostly live trees not dead or dying ones like the woodpeckers do. The birds are after bugs under the bark and in the dead wood but the porkies are after the cambium layer of the living tree, I've never noticed any deep damage to the underlying wood from porkies. The porkies like the oaks and maples and seem to get lead poisoning from that but the woodpeckers like dead / dying pine and poplar and seem to do just fine on that food with no ill effects! Jay
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[mspina14]

We have both here in our area. The picture of the poplar tree was drilled by a pileated woodpecker we know because they nest in our woods near our house and we watch them work on our trees all the time. When porkies eat they clean the bark off smaller branches on mostly live trees not dead or dying ones like the woodpeckers do. The birds are after bugs under the bark and in the dead wood but the porkies are after the cambium layer of the living tree, I've never noticed any deep damage to the underlying wood from porkies. The porkies like the oaks and maples and seem to get lead poisoning from that but the woodpeckers like dead / dying pine and poplar and seem to do just fine on that food with no ill effects! Jay
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How do porcupines get lead poisoning from eating the cambium layer of live Maple and Oak trees?

Mark

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Usually one of these ;)

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[OldManMaple]

[QUOTE=mspina14;334055]How do porcupines get lead poisoning from eating the cambium layer of live Maple and Oak trees?

Mark[/QUOTE


It follows a "High Velocity Impact"

[mspina14]

Usually one of these ;)

16483

Ahhh. I see.

Someone has been out Maple tree hunting!

I thought shooting Maple trees was prohibited. ;)

Mark

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

The can climb very high, stopping for a snack on way up not sure. I do know when they reach the 30' mark and fall out of tree they make a really big thud when hitting the ground.

[OldManMaple]

Don't look up as they don't leave the tree to take a leak

[maple maniac65]

Don't look up as they don't leave the tree to take a leak

Do you know this from experience

[OldManMaple]

Well just say I'm leery under the hemlocks. They seem to hang out in them. I can sometimes find them by the freshly dropped branches and the piss stains under the trees when theres snow on the ground. I'm going to start giving them the choice of lead or swimming the river, so look out!

[bprifle01]

Well just say I'm leery under the hemlocks. They seem to hang out in them. I can sometimes find them by the freshly dropped branches and the piss stains under the trees when theres snow on the ground. I'm going to start giving them the choice of lead or swimming the river, so look out!

I personally wouldn't give them the choice!

[Mark B]

Well just say I'm leery under the hemlocks. They seem to hang out in them. I can sometimes find them by the freshly dropped branches and the piss stains under the trees when theres snow on the ground. I'm going to start giving them the choice of lead or swimming the river, so look out!

We had porcupines at a kids camp in central lower Michigan. They used to chew through the varnished posts on the primitive cabins to get to the cedar or hemlock posts that made the buildings. They also consumed a regular diet of lead.