154 THE CONDOR 
time was spent in watching the birds feed, as they tore and pried off large slabs 
of dead bark in their search for various eral and insects. 
In 1915 we reached Cisco early in June and at first opportunity searched 
for our birds. A hard climb took us to the top of the dividing ridge and a swift 
descent, to the shores of the lake. One of the first birds seen was the Pileated 
Woodpecker as it flew from a tree standing in deep water to the thick woods 
across the lake. We passed near this tree and hid in some brush near by to 
await the appearance of the bird. It shortly returned and made straight for 
the tree, alighting on the opposite side from that facing us. We watched sev- 
an ie ee gadng ds 2tet) 
2. eS epee ae 
Fig. 34. WELLS CLIMBING TO NEST OF NORTHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER, 
IN ASPEN, IN NEIGHBORHOOD OF CISCO, PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA; 
ENTRANCE TO NEST CAVITY CAN BE SEEN IN THE TREE TRUNK AT ExX- 
TREME TOP OF PICTURE. 
eral minutes and as the bird did not appear we approached nearer the tree and 
were chagrined to discover a large hole about twenty feet up, in plain view 
and on the side of the tree which had first been exposed to us. We clapped our. 
hands and immediately the bird appeared at the hole and flew cackling away. 
The tree stood about fifteen feet from the shore of the lake and in about five 
feet of water. At its base the diameter was about eighteen inches, at the nest 
entrance about ten. The tree was a live aspen. The base was exceedingly 
slippery and altogether the examination of the nest presented difficulties. 
