Woodpecker stand-off

 I heard piercing cries and flapping of wings and knew that these were of the Banded Woodpeckers.  A quick search revealed a gorgeous pair of males.

And I wouldn't have foreseen the hostility until this happened.

It looked like a lengthy confrontation as both circled the trunk, went up and up, went head-on till they dropped to the ground and quickly recovered and up the tree again to continue with their stand-off.

I had seen earlier another fly across just as I heard the cries and was hurrying to seek out the cries, and this third one kept on calling even as it flew back close to where these two were engaged in aggression, but did not appear at all.

And they were certainly not engaged in any hide-and-seek as they circled up the trunk again, and on to the next tree.

And it looked like it's an older woodpecker against a young upstart(?), perhaps territorial claim, the older one being the aggressor.

And it didn't look like it was going to end any time soon as they went on to their third round of confrontation as both fell clashing to the ground a second time, then hopped on up the next tree.

Perhaps I unwittingly ended, or merely temporarily halted their aggression as I stepped round for closer shots (still smarting from missing out on their erstwhile clashes on the ground) and forced them to fly to separate trees.

Unfortunately it was hard to say which was the winner as both remained there as I left, nevertheless with sweet images of these two.