strange bugs in tree

[Logging logginglogging]

I have a birch tree and I have seen these bugs way up high constantly swarming an area in the tree where it appears they have drilled many many holes about the size of the tip of your finger. I am pretty sure they have killed the tree, but what are these things? I cant knock them down with the hose because they are too fast and they are too far up to see them good. I even tried binoculars. u know I saw a bird like this around that I thought was a red headed wood pecker, but maybe this is the work of a sap sucker and the bugs are just attracted to it
This bird could be the culprate:
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20130106/ARTICLES/301061004

[SwampDonkey]

Sounds like sapsucker. The sap attracts bugs and the sapsucker eats bugs. ;D

It may also be paper wasps /white faced hornets gathering 'pulp' for their nest. Jeff has a video of them taking pulp (bark) from a mountain ash to build a nest.