This photo, taken in March at our 'Sugaring' lab at the Cornell Cooperative Exchange depicts an animal sign. The two large holes in the tree are most likely from a woodpecker (species unknown). Here's a question: why exactly to woodpeckers peck? These species of bird are unique in that they like to eat insects that burrow in the bark of trees, such as termites or other borers. They also may raise their young in the bark of trees, so larger holes may indicate so. Contrast to what may be common belief, woodpeckers do not actually eat the wood, they are just trying to get around it. What I find most interesting about this photo is the fact that there are two holes, one slightly larger than the other, right on top of each other. It makes you question what the pecker was looking for -- perhaps it was looking for food, but then decided that this was a good place to raise its young, so it started pecking a much larger hole. Or, it is also possible that it was looking for food, found it, but had a hard time getting to it so it pecked another hole...it will remain a mystery.