Northern Flicker Woodpeckers

The two Northern Flickers danced around the top of my dead tree for a long time,  The backyard sounded like a jungle of Flicker calls, from cooing, to calling to pecking,

Dead Tree Wildlife Habitat

A couple of years ago, during a wind storm, I began to worry about a 100 ft Douglas fir tree in my back yard.  Dead trees fall over during wind storms.  I called a tree-climber and told him I wanted to leave at least 20 feet of the tree for wildlife. and I wanted him to drop the rest of the tree so it fell into the forest, also for wildife.  He left about 40 feet standing.  I was sure would still come crashing down on my house, but he assured me it wouldn't reach my roof.  I think he was counting on it breaking at least three feet from the ground..

A Pileated woodpecker found it immediately, pecking away one winter morning.

Now a family of Northern Flickers has purchased one of the bird condos at the top of the tree.