Red-Breasted Sapsucker damage...really?

This is my birch tree. I was watching the cutest little woodpecker tapping at the birch tree. About 15 minutes I'd say. My bird ID book told me he was a Red-Breasted Sapsucker. When I went out later to see what he was up to, this is what I found. A ring around the birch of deepish holes some about a centimetre across. So, I was remembering a conversation I had with you in April about this same birch tree. I thought it was reaching the end of it's life shortly. Thanks for the help little red bird.