I have them around like most, they have nested in my woods for the last 2 years. They make a new cavity every year. Both time the cavities have been in dead popples that I have killed and left standing.
quite easy to find them in the spring making a nest as they are quite noisy while banging away at a tree.

I also have red headed wood peckers too. But they have showed up after I have done some serious thinning and am transitioning the woods to a open woodland rather than a forest.
That evolves thin heavily maples and ironwood, encourage White Oak, burn often, thinning brush, and seeding with grasses and forbs.
I also will kill popples and red maples and leave them standing just for the wildlife benefit.

One was giving a hawk the business Friday as I sat in the stand. Noisy buggers.

Here's some pics of the pair I mentioned. They are making a sap well in one of my beech trees. Apparently they make them in spring and check them regularly for the insects they attract.

Nice Phitos^^^

Years ago, I made some hang-on platform stands with aircraft aluminum rectangular channel I had. Opening day of gun deer that same year at 7:30am- some woodpecker drilled that thing for 20 minutes straight, it was about 20 yards from my rifle stand. I'm sure the hollow sound was intriguing to him but about the loudest, most unnatural sound you could create.

oh that's great till your in the tree they start hammering on half asleep

jalstat They like old timber there like along the river or out in the islands. I was 60 mile south of the quad cities and there were several pair working the area along the river swamp areas then.

Look huge stumbling thru the woods, and their call sounds just like a squirrel.

They are Huge

I wouldn't consider eating them. They are on the protected list.

Woody the wood pecker !!!!

UTT UTT UTT AHHH UH !!!

w

Three separate birds.