Acorn Woodpecker

I went up to an area in the Coronado National Forest which is well known as one of the best birding areas in North America. I sat on a bench next to an elderly lady asking her what all of the birds names were.

She finally said to me, "Wait here. I'm going to go to my car and get you a book so you can look them up for yourself."

She said it in such a kindly manner.

She did identify this one for me. It is an acorn woodpecker. This one is an adult female. I thought it was just beautiful.

Acorn woodpeckers, as their name implies, depend heavily on acorns for food. In some parts of their range, the woodpeckers create granaries or "acorn trees" by drilling holes in dead trees, dead branches, telephone poles and wooden buildings. The woodpeckers then collect acorns and find a hole that is just the right size for the acorn. As acorns dry out, they are moved to smaller holes and granary maintenance requires a significant amount of the bird's time. They also feed on insects, sap, and fruit.

She was really a nice lady. Older ladies have a lot of patience with me. They need it.