Canada (Ontario)
Jan 1 2019
female, adult
Ottawa - There is good news on the woodpecker front. All of the southern species in Ontario are showing an upward trend in their populations. This includes the Pileated which is experiencing record highs on Christmas counts in many areas. My take on this, and I was expecting it, is that it is related to the decimation of native ash trees due to the emerald ash borer. Almost 10% of the tree population in the southern part of the province is ash. The white ash will be almost wiped out in the next very few years as the onslaught continues. The species is virtually gone in the south.
Jan 3 2019