Red-headed Woodpeckers Fledge at Sibbald Park, Ontario

The photo is seconds before this juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker fledged at 12:14 p.m. It was the only juvenile left in the nest. From 11:05 a.m. to 12:13 p.m. the adult in the photos below, brought it food three times. After the third feed, the juvenile stuck its head out of the cavity and flew to a tree nearby and concealed itself. Sibbald Point Provincial Park on Lake Simcoe on 6 July 2018.

When Ron Pittaway and I arrived the juvenile peeked out a little and ducked inside when the adult came with food. Sibbald Point on 6 July 2018

The adult brought it a variety of food items including dogwood berries. The young had its head out of the hole but on the arrival of the adult it ducked inside. Sibbald Point on 6 July 2018.

 Diet was varied - grasshopper or catydid and ants.

The adult came back at 12:33 p.m. with more food items such as ants and flying insects. It had not seen the juvenile leave the cavity. Sibbald Point on 6 July 2018.

It quickly discovered the juvenile wasn't there. Soon the adult heard it making a churring sound from a nearby tree, and fed it there. Several times we watched it come and go with food to the tree where the juvenile was. It did not return to the nest cavity. This juvenile was the last to leave.

Earlier when we arrived, the other adult and a juvenile were about 100 metres from the nest cavity. We saw two juveniles, though there could have been more.