The Black-backed Woodpecker is a boreal species found in the cool forests and wetland areas of the Adirondacks.  This year, local birding expert Brian McAllister found a Black-backed Woodpecker nest site. Because nest finds are uncommon for this woodpecker, many birders have enjoyed the discovery. Martjan Lammertink, who’s a researcher and woodpecker expert from Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, shares his photos from three mornings spent watching the nest.  He found that Black-backed Woodpeckers are remarkably impervious to people in their vicinity – but not always to squirrels. (For the best viewing, you can expand the slideshow to full-screen by clicking the bottom-right arrows.)

For more information on the Black-backed Woodpecker, you can visit Cornell’s All About Birds.  And, here’s the homepage of Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology.