What kind of insect/animal

[Egon]

Save your money... I found a pine log on the property where they were shredding it to pieces in the same way. Apparently they aren't all that picky on tree variety.

I've never seen this one, or more around here, but I did have a pair nesting back in Texas. There they are truly rare there as well. We had bird watchers coming by with binoculars to see them nesting with a pair of chicks. They are beautiful birds, but I apparently never had seen them shredding a tree like these. As long as they don't start tearing up good trees, I'm happy to have them around. I'm just happy that the identification wasn't a new variety of pine beetles! Thanks to the TBN members that readily identified them.

If they proliferate I'll give you a buzz to come pick them up - at no charge

They are digging into the tree for insects that are there. The tree will already be showing signs of stress. About the only damage to healthy trees will be drumming to define territory.

 

[Egon]

Porcupine in the area? They can wreak havoc on trees.

Porky's eat the Bark.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Looks as if lightening maybe hit it, blew out the top, killed the rest, and here come the woodpeckers. We have the Pileated around here, sounds like a road crew going through the woods.

 

[goeduck]

That first picture looks a little doctored up, but the tree looks dead, and I would agree that insects and woodpeckers are at work.

I also do not understand the tree trunk half way up in the 1st picture