what made these holes???

[jnish]

I see a lot of holes up high in the cedars and I assume woodpeckers.  However, these holes are very close to the ground.  One of the smallest holes is just a couple of inches above the forest floor.  What made these holes?

IMG_7050 by Jane Nishikawa, on Flickr

Apologies--not exactly a bird ID question!

[Reuven_M]

Looks like a Pileated Woodpecker!

[jnish]

Thank you--it must be spectacular to observe a pileated woodpecker at work!

[Leslie Kinrys]

I have watched a Pileated Woodpecker hack away at a neighbour's tree. The pieces of wood flew everywhere and it sounded like someone was using a hatchet. One winter, we came upon a fallen tree. A Pileated was breaking it open. A Hairy and a Downy were watching it. When the Pileated flew off, the Hairy started to work that spot. When it flew off, the Downy took a turn. My husband said it was like seeing small, medium and large  

[Reuven_M]

In a similar vein, I've seen chickadees hanging around while downy woodpeckers feed - not sure if they're waiting to steal something?