Looks like insect larva eating their way through the branch under the bark
Stick Enthusiasts
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Bark beetle galleries. Interesting info: some woodpeckers have long tongues rolled in their beaks. They peck on the bark to detect where the galleries are, then they drill in. Once they break into the galleries, they explore all the passages with their tongues until they can scoop out the juicy beetle larvae. Yum!
They also wraps the tongue around their skull when pecking, to protect their brain against the impact!