Red-bellied Woodpeckers struggling against Starling invasion of their nest site.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker pair has excavated their nest cavity for a couple weeks. Recently Starlings wished to take control. The battle over occupancy is intense. I had concern for the woodpecker pair and their resolve to hold firm against the Starlings. As of yesterday evening the woodpeckers were still at and in their nest cavity. This pair is in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While the Red-bellied Woodpecker breeding range is expanding north, it is not regularly observed nesting throughout the Upper Peninsula ... yet.