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Red-crested Wonders:Pileated Woodpeckers

byCarol Kelly

Last spring a trio of walkers stopped at the Nature Cen-ter with great news- they had noticed a pair of pileated wood-peckers nesting in a dead tree nearby! Throughout the season, we had the joy of watching the woodpeckers raise two young. Catching a glimpse of the parents feeding their brood or of the young poking their curious heads out of the hole were pleasant moments. The pileated woodpeckers have been residents in the park for a number of years. More frequent sightings point toward their ability to adjust to forested areas with secondary growth and with greater public usage. The pileated (PIL ee ated or PIE lee ated) woodpecker ranges north from British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec south to northern California, Montana, east Nebraska, east Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Florida. It does not migrate and remains in the area of its nesting territory throughout the year. Its scientific name Dryocopus pileatus is derived from the Greek word drys meaning a tree and kopis meaning cleaver and the Latin word pilatus for capped i.e. crested. The pileated woodpecker is generally described as a large (16 1/2 to 19 inches) crow-sized, black-backed woodpecker with a bright red crest on its head. It has a long gray bill with a red mustache. The leading edges of the wings are white and are visible in flight. The female resembles the male, but has a black forehead and no red on the mustache. Juveniles appear very similar to their parents only a bit duller and browner. The woodpecker’s call is described as similar to a flicker’s but deeper and louder. Both sexes will drum (females less than males) on a dead tree to announce their territory or to attract a mate. The diet of a pileated woodpecker is about seventy-five percent animal food with carpenter ants, as the preferred food, but flies, mosquitoes, moths, ants, and grubs may be included. The birds will excavate long oblong holes sometimes several feet in length to find food. A sure sign of recent activity is the chips of wood lying on the ground at the base of the tree. The rest of the diet may be composed of acorns, beechnuts, berries, grapes, and other seeds. The woodpeckers have also been known to make an appearance at suet feeders.

photo: Wayne Henderek

A male parent pileated woodpecker attends to two eager nest-lings in WCSP last spring.

The nesting hole is constructed by both sexes, with the female doing most of the work, from late February into March or later. It may take as long as a month for the hole to be completed. The cavity is dug in a dead tree or a branch of a dead tree.A large variety of trees are used by the pileated and include beech, poplar, birches, oaks, hickories, maples, hemlocks, pines, elms, basswood, cypress, and cottonwoods. Three to five white unmarked eggs are laid with only one brood raised each year. Both males and females will incubate the eggs. Gener-ally the female will be on the nest during the day leaving to rest in a roosting hole nearby for the night, while the male assumes responsibility. (Both the male and female will construct a number of roosting holes nearby.) The eggs will hatch in approximately eighteen days. The adults will feed the young throughout the time they are in the nest and for a while afterward. Feeding is accomplished when the adult inserts its bill down the throat of

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection e Division of Parks and Forestry

NATURE’SGrapevineWASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK, NJ Autumn 2011

the young and regurgitates beetles, ants, caterpillars and other insects. The pileated will ardently defend and protect its young and the nest. Reports exist of a woodpecker attacking a black snake that had gotten into its hole. Another relates how a bird car-ried its eggs in its beak to a new nesting site when the top of the original tree broke off in a storm. All woodpeckers are provided with a number of unique adaptations. The bill is adapted for chiseling and repeated ham-mering. Strong neck muscles help the woodpecker drive the beak into the wood. The tongue is amazingly long (about four times as long as the beak) and sticky which makes it highly effi cient for catching insects hiding in deep cracks and crevices as well as insect larvae in secluded places. Woodpecker feet are adapted for climbing with two toes in the front and two in the back. The fourth toe can be moved sideways for the best positioning. Stiff wedge shaped tail feathers provide support and balance as the woodpecker hangs from the side of a tree.

photo: Wayne Henderek

This woodpecker excavates its nest in a dead ash tree.

The woodpeckers have an important role in the ecosys-tem of the forest. They help to control the numbers of wood and bark boring insects thereby contributing to the overall health of the forest. Smaller birds such as tufted titmice, nuthatches, and tree creepers can forage successfully for any remaining insects and spiders in the woodpecker’s feeding holes. Owls, raccoons, martens, fl ying squirrels and ducks are among the species that will use the roosting holes made by the woodpeckers. Woodpeck-ers help with the recycling process in the forest by pecking at

large amounts of dead wood making it accessible to decompos-ing organisms. A Native American (Eastern Woodland) tale explains how the pileated obtained its red crest:The story tells us how Manabozho, a Native American deity, manages to trick the Spir-it of Fever, Megissogwon, and avenge his grandfather’s death with the help of a crested woodpecker. As a reward, Manabozho paints the woodpecker’s crest red with the blood of the defeated Spirit of Fever. As the tale explains, this red crest continues to mark the pileated woodpecker’s head to this day, and serves as a reminder to humanity to show respect for all bird life. As the pileated woodpeckers are known to mate for life and to return to the same nesting cavity for several years, we look forward to seeing a new batch of young with blazing red crests next spring.

References:

Caduto, Michael and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Animals. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 1991.

Perrins, Christopher M. and Dr. Alex L.A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia of Birds. New York, New York: Facts on File, 1985.

Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Al - fred A Knopf, Inc., 2000.

Terres, John K. The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. New York: Wing Books, 1995.

Volkening, Steve, “Birds of Winter.” Boundary Waters Maga- zine. www.bwca.cc/wildlife/birds/birdsofwinter.htm

www.all-birds.com/pileated_woodpecker.htm, 2003. ____________________________________Carol Kelly spent many years teaching environmental education and science in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. A former mem-ber of the NJ Environmental Education Commission, she is currently employed at WCSP as a Seasonal Interpretive Specialist

Volunteer NotesGene Ramsey, Pennington, of the Amateur Astronomers As-sociation of Princeton came out to the Nature Center to con-duct two afternoons of solar observing on Labor Day Weekend.

Nettie Rekowski, Ewing, Ellen Coleman, Ewing, and Cheryl Burgos, Morrisville, all came out to staff the Nature Center dur-ing public programs.

Warren Coker, Lawrenceville, and Barbara Henderek, Titus-ville, both assisted with our summer night hikes.

Nature’s Grapevine Autumn 2011


ideas and concepts of the science of astronomy. The classes at the Nature Center will be one hour in duration and will be followed with demonstrations at the adjacent AAAP Simpson Observatory as weather permits. Access to the Nature Center and the observa-tory will be via the Phillips Farm/ soccer fields/group camping entrance on Bear Tavern Rd., since the park’s main entrance will be closed when the seminar begins. The classes are free. Ad-vanced registration will be required for each session by calling the Nature Center. Please see the enclosed program schedule or, call the Nature Center at the above phone number. for additional information.

Primitive Technologies Day

Our annual Primitive Technologies Day will take place on the Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend. Have you ever wondered how your ancestors obtained and prepared foods and medicines, made shelter, built fires or crafted weapons and tools and other necessities of life? Come out to the WCSP Nature Center on October 9, 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. to participate in a unique event. Volunteers will be on site demonstrating a variety of primitive skills and survival techniques. The program will be ongoing throughout the afternoon and will include a popular atlatyl contest in which participants will be able to try their hand in the use of a primitive projectile-throwing weapon that predates the bow and arrow. Admission is free and open to all comers.



Jonah Dafilou, Hopewell Twp., constructed four bluebird boxes this summer and came out on Labor Day Weekend with his fami-ly and a friend to install them in the park. The new nest boxes are located along the perimeter of the vacant field between Campsite A and the nearest soccer field. Thanks Jonah, nice job !

Washington Crossing Audubon generously donated 500 lbs of black-oil sunflower seed to stock our feeding stations for the winter.

Volunteer authors wanted. We are always interested in receiv-ing submissions for Nature’ Grapevine. We are looking for natural history articles of around 1000 words on topics relevant to WCSP. Articles can be stories and anecdotes or essays on plants, wildlife, geology, archaeology, weather, invertebates, astronomy, the seasons, ecology, outdoor pursuits or any environmental/out-door topic that would be of interest to our visitors. Please give us a call or email if you would like to discuss having your work featured in a future edition of our newsletter.

Around the Park] The Nature Center had a busy summer. Camp, scout, school and home school groups from Princeton, Newtown, Trenton, Pennington, Hightstown, West Windsor, Plainsboro, Morrisville and Bordentown visited the WCSP Nature Center. Programs delivered included Geocaching, sensory awareness, pond studies, animal tracks, ropes activities, trail hikes and compass basics. Groups wishing to schedule programs for the coming fall and winter should give us a call.

] Hurricane Irene forced a cancelation of our monarch butter-fly program and wreaked some havoc in the state park. Downed trees blocked trails, facilities were closed for several days, trails washed out and the power was out in the park for nearly three days. Both the Delaware River and the Steele Run ran their banks and at least three trail bridges were damaged. The remains of Tropical Storm Lee caused additional mischief with heavy rains the following week. The park is however, back up and running and open for visitation.

Astronomy Seminar The Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton (AAAP) will be offering an astronomy seminar over the course of four Friday evenings at the WCSP Nature Center this fall. The seminar will be conducted by Mr. David W. Letcher and assisted by Mr. Gene Ramsey both of AAAP. The seminar will commence at 7:30 p.m. on Friday September 30 (Backyard As-tronomy), and will follow on Fridays October 7 (Telescopes for Amateurs) October14 (The Solar System) and October 21 (Stars, Star Cluste,rs, and Galaxies). An additional Saturday will be scheduled during daylight hours at a later date for solar observ-ing. Each Friday class will consist of a lecture/discussion aug-mented by contemporary photographs and videos that illustrate

This newsletter is available free of charge electroni-cally . It can be downloaded at the web address below. Requests to be included on the emailing list may be made by contacting the Nature Center.

Phone..........(609) 737-0609Fax...............(609) [email protected] - Sat 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sun 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Closed Mon and TuesWebsite........www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/ parks/washcros.html

Park Naturalist& Newsletter Editor......Wayne Henderek

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/washcros.html

Autumn Programsat the

Nature CenterThe following is a list of activities being offered through the Nature Center at Washington Crossing State Park in Titus-ville, New Jersey. These events are available to families and individuals only. Programs for scouts, schools, home school groups and other groups are scheduled via phone call by special arrangement. All programs are offered free of charge, some will require advanced registration as indicated below. Attendance is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All programs will initially meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise indicated. In the event of inclement weather, some programs might be canceled. It is always advisable to call ahead before coming out. Phone: (609) 737-0609.

TELESCOPES FOR AMATEURS (pre-teen - adult) Friday October 7, 7:30 p.m. This session will trace the historical development of the telescope. We will also describe the types of telescopes and eyepieces used by amateurs as well as their important proper-ties such as aperture, focal ratio, magnification, and telescope mounts. The use of binoculars will be described. Mention will also be made as to which type of telescope is most useful for observing the sun, moon, and planets, as well as stars and star clusters, and deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies.. Instructor: David W. Letcher, Amateur Astronomers’ Assoc. of Princeton. Advanced reg-istration required. Enter the park at the Phillips Farm (group camping) entrance on Bear Tavern Rd. Meet at Nature Center. Free.

PRIMITIVE TECHNOLOGIES DAY (all ages) Sunday October 9, 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Archaeologists and primitive technolo-gists from throughout the region will be on hand demonstrating and discussing a variety of primitive skills that local Native Ameri-cans and indigenous people from throughout the world practiced in prehistoric times. Free.

NATURAL DYES (all ages) Saturday October 15, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Many interesting colors can be derived from wild plants. Come out to learn how several of our more common plants can be coaxed to yield dyes for coloring natural fabrics and take home a few samples of your own. Advanced registration required. Free

THE SOLAR SYSTEM (pre-teen – adult) Friday October 14, 7:30 p.m. This class will describe the objects found in the solar sys-tem. These include the sun, the planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. Eclipses, both lunar and solar will be explained and described. Instructor: David W. Letcher, Amateur Astronomers’ Assoc. of Princeton. Advanced registration required. Enter the park at the Phillips Farm (group camping) entrance on Bear Tavern Rd. Meet at Nature Center. Free.

GOAT HILL OVERLOOK HIKE (pre-teen - adult) Sunday October 16, 1:30. Goat Hill Overlook is a relatively new state park ac-quisition. The tract sits on a bluff overlooking the Delaware River in W. Amwell Twp. and boasts commanding views of the Delaware Valley including portions of Lambertville, New Hope and areas north and west into Bucks County, PA. The tract contains extensive hardwood and mixed oak forests, open fields, numerous rock outcrops, a former diabase quarry and hiking trails. We will meet in Washington Crossing at the park pond on Church Rd and carpool to the overlook for an exploration hike. The terrain will be rugged. Wear hiking shoes and bring drinking water. Free.

STARS, STAR CLUSTERS, AND GALAXIES (pre-teen - adult) Friday October 21, 7:30 p.m. This last session will describe the magnitude, distances, and parallax of stars plus the types of star clusters we can see, both open and globular. The session will conclude with a description of the types and locations of galaxies and nebulae we can view from our backyard. Instructor: David W. Letcher, Amateur Astronomers’ Assoc. of Princeton. Advanced registration required. Enter the park at the Phillips Farm (group camp-ing) entrance on Bear Tavern Rd. Meet at Nature Center. Free.

BIKE HIKE (pre-teens - adult) Saturday October 22, 1:00 p.m. Take a guided bicycle ride up the Delaware & Raritan Canal Tow-path toward the Lambertville wing dam (approx. 13 mile round trip). Meet at the Nelson House parking lot. Bring your own bike and helmet. If you wish to rent a bike, WCSP has a bicycle livery concession. Contact Greenway Bike Rentals at (908) 581-5780 www.greenwaybikerentals.com to reserve a rental bike. Advanced registration for the hike required. Call the Nature Center at (609) 737-0609. Free.

(More Nature Center events, next page)



(Nature Center events continued)

FALL FOLIAGE HIKE (9 yrs. - adult) Sunday October 30, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. This is a naturalist-guided 3 1/2 - 5 1/2 mile hike taking on the park’s natural and historic areas, and several interesting and remote sections of the park during the fall foliage season. Wear sturdy footwear. Bring drinking water, a snack and a pair of binoculars. Free.

SHELTER BUILDING WILDERNESS SURVIVAL (6 yrs. - adult) Sunday November 6, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. This program will deal with the fundamentals pertaining to survival when lost in the wild. Participants will construct a weatherproof shelter completely from native materials. Free.

THE GRAND FINALE OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE: AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT (All Ages) Saturday November 12, 1:00 p.m. Dr. Ken Kremer of Spaceflight Magazine and Universe Today will deliver this multimedia presentation. Seating will be avail-able on a first come, first served basis. Free.

SHELTER BUILDING WILDERNESS SURVIVAL (6 yrs. - adult) Sunday November 13, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. This program will deal with the fundamentals pertaining to survival when lost in the wild. Participants will construct a weatherproof shelter completely from native materials. Free.

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE AREA OF THE PARK (all ages) Sunday November 20, 1:30 p.m. Jim Wade, former archivist and researcher with the N.J. State Museum will discuss primitive stone tool use by Native Americans in central New Jersey. Empha-sis will be on the significance and importance of the Indian way of life during the autumn season, focusing on the activities of fall hunting, gathering and religious ceremonies. The program will include a slide presentation and Native American artifacts will be on display. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. Free.

NATURE CENTER CLOSED Thurs. Nov. 24 - Sun. Nov. 27Have a Happy Thanksgiving

GEOCACHE WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK ( preteens – adult) Sunday December 4, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Geocaching is a high-tech update on the good old-fashioned scavenger hunt game utilizing GPS (global positioning satellite) technology to locate objects hidden among the forests, fields and trails of parks, playgrounds, natural areas and other open lands. Participants will learn how to obtain information and hints from the Geocaching.com website, on the location of over a dozen geocache sites located in and around the state park. They will then use handheld GPS devices to go out and find as many caches as possible. Once a cache is found, participants typically will sign in on the log contained within and then take an object from the cache box after leaving a trinket for subsequent geocachers. Participants should bring a pocket full of trinkets to exchange when they locate caches. Trinkets can include small toys and balls, plastic jewelry, pens, pencils, scratch pads, patches, action figures, coins, etc. Advanced registration required after 11/9. A limited number of GPS navigation devices will be made available to participants. Bring your own handheld GPS device if you have one. Free.

HOLIDAY WREATH MAKING (all ages) Saturday December 10, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. Participants will construct their own wreaths from evergreen clippings collected in the park. Advanced registration required after 11/8. Free.

NATURE CENTER CLOSED Sat. Dec. 24, 2011 - Tues. Jan 3, 2012Have a Happy Holiday Season

(More park events, next page)





Visitor Center Museum(609) 737-9303

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 1, 2:00 p.m. Join a park historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing demon-stration. Free.

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 8, 2:00 p.m. Join a park historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing demon-stration. Free.

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 15, 2:00 p.m. Join a park historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing dem-onstration. Free.

MUSKET FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday October 29, 2:00 p.m. Join a park historian for an interpretive talk about some of the weapons used during the American Revolution and their use during the Battle of Trenton. Included will be a musket firing dem-onstration. Free.

CANNON FIRING DEMONSTRATION. Saturday, November 5, 11:00 – 4:00 p.m. Lamb’s Artillery Company will be conduct-ing artillery demonstrations at 12:00, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30. Free.

LECTURE The Christmas Night Crossing. Saturday, December 17, 2:00 p.m. Using diaries and letters of the participants, Resource Interpretive Specialist Mark Sirak will give a lecture on the significance of the Christmas Night Crossing and the Battle of Trenton.Free.

THE CHRISTMAS DAY CROSSING REENACTMENT. Sunday, December 25, 1:00 p.m. Commemorate the 235th anniversary of George Washington’s famous Christmas Night crossing of the Delaware River by viewing the annual reenactment. Meet in Wash-ington Grove. Free.


Johnson Ferry House(609) 737-2515

HARVEST DAY Saturday, November 19, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cider-making, hearth cooking and other family activities. Free. LANTERN WALKING TOURS Friday, December 23. 2 tours; 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Meet at the Nelson House, a guide will explain the history of this site, the Crossing, Stone Barn and Johnson Ferry House. Advanced registration required.


New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

nature grapevine ’s...sibley, david allen. the sibley guide to birds. new york: al - fred a knopf,...

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