Birds on the Boardwalk

As you take a stroll down the Podell Boardwalk, keep an eye out for birds! Small holes along tree trunks are a distinct sign of woodpeckers looking for insects. There are six species of woodpeckers found here, including: Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Pileated Woodpecker. Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and White-breasted Nuthatches nest and roost in old woodpecker cavities and congregate in mixed species flocks. Other birds like Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays forage for fruits and seeds, while warblers and vireos glean insects from the tree canopy. Plants like spicebush, honeysuckle, hawthorn, buckthorn provide an array of food sources for these birds.