Blue-Eyed Beauty
Behold, the stunning profile of an acorn woodpecker! Chiricahua National Monument, AZ.
Woodpeckers are most known for their proclivity of hammering on trees for food. Most search for insects (such as termites, flying ants, and some that even pose a threat to live trees) but some species, such as sapsuckers, often seek out tree sap for nourishment. The entire body of a woodpecker is uniquely designed to both maximize and withstand the impact of these blows. If a human were to endure just one headbutt against a tree using the same force, in accordance with his / her bodyweight, it would shatter the person’s skull! The holes excavated by these incredible birds provide refuge for a number of other animals such as squirrels, small owls (screech, pygmy, and elf owls all nest in woodpecker cavities), and a host of other birds!
Angry Acorns
Acorn woodpeckers have always struck me as the clowns of Southern Arizona's Sky Islands. They're absurdly vocal, funny-looking, and have really interesting social dynamics! Large family groups will occupy a territory, working collectively to fend off invaders and protect their precious caches of acorns which are stashed in the trunks of dead trees. The woodpeckers will bore a single hole per acorn that requires housing, resulting in the tree becoming downright covering with these small cavities. This shot was snapped right after two others had flown from the perch. Chiricahua Mountains, AZ.
Acorn Woodpecker
Acorn woodpeckers will form tribes which defend territory and cache sometimes thousands of acorns, each contained within it's own tiny, perfectly-shaped hole of a dead tree. These food stores often sate them through lean times, such as winter. Madera Canyon, AZ.
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Berry Delicious
This red-naped sapsucker was a very gracious photo subject. He/she hopped around for quite some time. The saga began with this stunning sapsucker plucking berries off a pyracantha bush.
He / she eventually migrated to a sycamore tree right next to me which Mr or Mrs. woodpecker spent some time closely inspecting. Prints of this image are not currently available for sale. Please check back for future availability!
Sapsucker Profile
This red-naped sapsucker was a very gracious photo subject. He/she hopped around for quite some time. The saga began with this stunning sapsucker plucking berries off a pyracantha bush.
He / she eventually migrated to a sycamore tree right next to me which Mr or Mrs. woodpecker spent some time closely inspecting.
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Williamson’s Sapsucker
Bird watchers tend to flock to their favored areas when a locally rare species is documented. Myself and my beloved companion happened to be sitting in the forest just appreciating our surroundings when we noticed an unfamiliar woodpecker species pecking away at a nearby alligator juniper. We snapped a few pictures and watched this cryptic creature for some time. A week later, I learned that birders had been very interested in the exact Williamson's sapsucker we had been so fortunate as to meet. Madera Canyon, AZ.
Gila Woodpecker
Gila woodpeckers are the most common inhabitants of Southeastern AZ's desert valleys. They eagerly bore holes in the iconic Saguaro cactus for food as well as nest holes, but also take full advantage of metal human signs to proudly announce territorial dominance. This fellow is checking up on the nest! Saguaro National Park, AZ.
Red-Headed Woodpecker
These wondrous redheads fascinate me! Absent from large swaths of land across the Eastern US, they tend to be downright abundant in ideal habitat. I have observed red-headed woodpeckers in large meadows, along creeks, and saturating coastal, longleaf pine forests. Despite the variety of homesteads favored by these peculiar peckers, redheads seem to be absent from much of the region surrounding where the woodpecker in question resides. What's the common denominator? The only factor I can pinpoint is that everywhere I've seen redheads boasts an abundance of dead, standing trees, entirely absent of bark. Carolina Beach State Park, NC.
Fighting Flickers
While traipsing through a grassy meadow, I noticed these two flickers behaving quite strangely. They would repeatedly hop around this isolated rock, occasionally bobbing heads at each other. Every so often one would chase the other a few feet away before going right back at it.
Apparently, this peculiar "dance" is a well-known part of flicker courtship. Apache National Forest, AZ.
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Pileated Pecker
My first introduction to a pileated woodpecker was in childhood. This enormous bird my family had never seen before landed on a deciduous tree along our small woodland. Ever since, I have been completely smitten with this impressive creatures. Carolina Beach State Park, NC.
Arizona Woodpecker
This lovely lady was very busy pecking away at the wildflower stalks. Although I have previously watched downy woodpeckers behave similarly in the Eastern US, the behaviour of this Arizona woodpecker was a new experience.
Much easier to excavate than a tree, I would imagine! Chiricahua Nat Monument, AZ.
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