December 28 Lady Downy in a Nest?

Back out on the Picnic Point this Sunday afternoon, I watched this female downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescent) chase another out of this tree cavity. It then went all the way in, drilled for a moment, and retreated to fling wood chips out of the hole. Woodpeckers usually begin courtship in late winter, but in recent days I have heard more than one bird species make mating calls. My guess is that the warm weather has our resident winter birds feeling giddy. While they likely won't mate until closer to the average time, birds especially will get a head start if given an opportunity, including claiming a great nest site. This downy woodpecker may be doing just that.