Little Dudes: Acorn Woodpecker -- Melanerpes formicivorus

The Northern-most range of the Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is nearby, and in a somewhat unexpected place. They live right on Pacific University's Forest Grove campus. I was there today and saw some of the little scuppers flitting about in the ginormous (yes that's a word), old and beautiful Oak trees that grace the campus grounds.

Birder types [notice the distancing language -- "types"] get pretty twitterpated about things like this. It seemed a bit odd to me at first, but I realized that they are just geeks in a different way than I am. At an earlier spot that day, I grabbed a "Capnia" or Winter Stonefly off one of my classmate's jackets and excitedly explained how this is the first "big" bug that comes out in the winter on trout streams and how the trout really go crazy for them. I'm really not in a position to judge geekiness, now am I.



Acorn woodpeckers were a staple bird of my childhood nature walks in California -- so I wasn't too worked up about seeing them. My cool detachment softened a bit when we got our binoculars on a few of them -- it had been years since I'd actually laid eyes upon one. They are colorful, interesting birds quite a bit of character. They excavate holes in the dead branches of the trees and stuff acorns in them to store for later. They're spunky and kind of bold -- in short, cool little dudes.

Enjoy your local biological claims to fame,

Bp