Birds and Nature

Though my focus when I visited Pueblo Mtn Park two days ago was the Hooded Warbler, I spent some time observing the Acorn Woodpeckers. Just as during my prior visit,they were busy harvesting acorns and storing them in the larder tree. The Acorn Woodpecker in the top photo was in the scrub (Gambel's) oak to select an acorn. The Acorn Woodpeckers often stopped in tree in between the scrub oak and their larder tree to do some acorn preparation (at least that is what it looked like as they would pound on and manipulate the acorns with their bills there before flying off with them to the larder tree). More pics to come. SeEtta

The Acorn Woodpecker pair that was found in Pueblo Mtn Park that I blogged about here on June 20, 2012 have continued to be seen regularly. A recent post stated that the birds had been seen entering an apparent nest hole. I drove there yesterday to see if I could get some photo documentation. I am delighted to say that I got documentation of the birds carrying food into the nest hole and what is likely fecal sacs out of it--per Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas II should be evidence of 'confirmed' breeding. In the top photo the female has a large flying insect in her bill, looks like a large fly, that she takes into the apparent nest hole in the tree. Please note that I was a good 150 feet from the nest tree (and though I stayed in my car to reduce disturbance, the birds did appear to be aware of my presence and would turn towards me they heard the mechanical sounds of my taking a photo)--I have a camera set-up that is approx 900mm in equivalence and then I crop the photo...

I watched this Acorn Woodpecker flycatching over a small pond at Pueblo Mtn Park yesterday. I drove down there because I could do a lot of birding from my car, which I have to do because I am recovering from a nasty bout of acute bronchitis. Acorn, Red-headed and Lewis's Woodpeckers sally out after flying insects. SeEtta