Podcasts about acorn woodpeckers

In this episode—which is number 110—Ivan explores the fascinating world of cooperative breeding in birds, a system in which multiple adults help raise young in a group setting. He begins with an intriguing story from the Kalahari Desert, where Southern Pied-Babblers resort to “chicknapping” during droughts to bolster their flock size. Ivan then broadens the discussion, examining the global distribution of cooperative breeding among bird species and the evolutionary mechanisms that drive this behavior. He introduces key scientific concepts, such as inclusive fitness and kin selection, to explain why some birds delay their own reproduction to assist relatives. Additionally, he covers various hypotheses, from ecological constraints to life history strategies, that influence the evolution of this breeding system. Featured examples of cooperative breeders in the episode include the Florida Scrub-Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, and Superb Fairywren, each of which showcases the complexity and diversity of this strategy in different environments.  ~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website Support the show

As a nature lover, I'm often asked about my favorite plants, animals, and insects. And I always struggle to answer those questions, because I have so many favorites, and they are context dependent. But when it comes to birds, woodpeckers often come to mind first. They're often colorful, charismatic, and have such an amazing set of adaptations that let them drill into trees, excavate insects from bark, and some even fly catch on the wing. One of the most interesting woodpecker species is the Acorn Woodpecker, found in much of the west and southwest. They live in large groups, are loud, have a clown face, and can store thousands of acorns in specially drilled holes that are just acorn sizes.Today's guest is Dr. Walt Koenig, who has spent several decades studying these birds, in affiliation with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and UC Berkeley. Today we'll learn about their behaviors, why you don't find acorn woodpeckers in the east, despite a nice variety of oak trees, and get this - acorns aren't even their preferred food! Dr. Koenig has studied their breeding behaviors and group compositions, which is perhaps the most fascinating part of the interview, and I can't do it justice in a short intro - so you'll just have to listen.And if one studies acorn woodpeckers, it follows that one studies acorns, too. So we also discuss the phenomenon of masting - that is, when oak trees produce bumper crops of acorns, in synchrony across wide geographic ranges! In fact, this past year was a mast year for some oak species in California. So if you are interested in what causes masting, you might want to jump to the last 23 minutes or so of the interview.FULL SHOW NOTESLINKSAcorn Woodpeckers at All About BirdsDr. Koenig's WebsiteSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Acorn Woodpeckers live in family groups of up to 15 individuals. Over time, if enough birds die off, an opportunity arises for unrelated birds to join the group and obtain a mate. Then, battles known as “power struggles” begin. Birds from other family groups form coalitions, with up to 30 birds in the skirmishes. Winners take all: mates, breeding territory, and thousands of acorns.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. 

Kimberlie is a researcher, volunteer, artist, educator, and more located in Pacific, California. Her next walks at Filoli Historic House & Gardens:1/17, 1/31, 2/10, 2/24, 3/1, 3/15 2025Learn more about Acorn Woodpeckers.Acorn WoodpeckerIngredients2 oz Bourbon Whiskey1/3 oz Hazelnut Liqueur3 dashes bittersInstructions(optional: CAREFULLY torch some acorn shells and turn glass over above it allowing the glass to fill with the smoke, pour drink into smoke-filled glass) 1.    Mix bourbon, hazelnut liqueur, and bitters in a glass2.   EnjoySupport the showConnect with me at... IG: @HannahgoesbirdingFacebook: @HannahandErikGoBirdingEmail me at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.comWebsite: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.com

On our latest show, we listen to an Acorn Woodpecker audio postcard from California; feature a rare visitor also in the Golden State; and talk with a couple of river heroes from Washington, DC.

Summary: Have you ever noticed how many different eye colors birds have? Join Kiersten and Cheryl as they delve into this understudied topic.   For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.   Show Notes: “Bird Eye Color” A Rainbow of Variation, a Spectrum of Explanations,” by Eamon C. Corbett, Robb T. Brumfield, Brant C. Faircloth. https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/object/3682/download/7316 “Bird Eyes Come In an Amazing Array of Colors – but Why is a Mystery,” by Meghan Bartels; Audubon February 2023. www.audubon.org Our email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions:  thefeathereddesert@gmail.com   Kiersten: Intro: Eye color in birds is often something we might overlook. But it's incredibly fascinating. Bird's eyes come in a variety of colors and can even vary throughout one individual's life. Today Cheryl and I are going to talk about eye color in birds.   Cheryl: We all know how colorful bird's feathers appear. They can be blue, red, yellow, even green. This is one of the reasons birds have been studied by scientists for so long and one of the main reasons we want to attract birds to our backyards. We want so see those bright, fabulous colors. Scientists want to know what's up with all the colorful feathers, and while this is fascinating and important research, it has overshadowed the other amazing colorful characteristic of birds: their eyes.             Here in the southwest, the Curve-billed Thrasher, is an example of bird with a brightly colored eye. Adults have bright orange eyes. It's an iconic characteristic and a great way to distinguish them from other types of thrashers.             Birds' eyes come in many different colors from dark-brown to light-brown to reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, and even white. Within these colors, a range of hues exist such as the turquoise of the Double-crested cormorant, the emerald green of the Black-and-red Broadbill, the crimson red of the Bronzed cowbird, the sunset orange of the Painted buttonquail, and the school bus yellow of the Short-eared owl.             Birds even have multi-colored irises. Our Curved-billed Thrasher's orange eye is actually a combination of an outer ring of orange with an inner ring of yellow to red near the pupil. The underappreciated Rock Pigeon actually has a beautiful eye with a ring of red on the edge and a ring of yellow around the pupil. The Greater Roadrunner, another of our southwest residents, has an eye with rings of brown and yellow around the pupil. Most of the birds with multi-colored iris have symmetrical coloration, but a few have asymmetrical coloration.             The Bank Cormorant's eye is an earthy orange on top while the bottom looks like a turquoise stone. Looking at this bird's eye is like looking at an Arizona sunset. Some female oystercatchers have dark eye flecks on only one side of the pupil giving their eye a keyhole appearance.   Kiersten: It is amazing the colors that are found in the avian world, but the light bright colors are less prevalent than the darker colors. A study released early this year, in 2023, has compiled information previously researched about eye color and they noticed some trends.             It appears that more birds have darker eye color, such as brown and black, than light eye color. Birds, as a whole, have darker eyes on average than other vertebrate groups including mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Looking at passerines, such our songbirds, 64% had black to dark brown eyes, 19% had light brown to red eyes, and 17% had the lightest eye colors including yellow, orange, white, pink, blue, and light gray.             Non-passerine birds, such as hawks, owls, ducks and other water birds, have lighter eyes than passerines. 40% were dark, 22% were the intermediate light browns and red, while 38% were light. The dark versus light hues found in birds do tend to follow phylogenetic lines. Birds in related families tend to have the same level of eye color. They may not always have the same eye color exactly but they are often categorized the same as dark, medium, or light. What we've talked about so far is differences of eye color between species but there are differences in eye color within species.   Cheryl: There are typically three reasons eye color will vary within a species. Number 1: Some birds are born with a darker eye color that will lighten as they age. For example, our Curve-billed Thrasher is born with brown eyes that change to orange only when they are adults. Spotted towhees have dark brown eyes as juveniles that turn red when they are adults. Osprey chicks are born with orange eyes that lighten to yellow when they are adults. Number 2: Twenty-four species of birds have been shown to have differences in eye color between sexes. Essentially males and females of the same species will have different colored eyes. Common grackles are a good example of this. The males have bright yellow eyes, while the females have brown eyes. Brewer's blackbird females have dark brown eyes while the males have a bright yellow. In a reversal, Saddle-billed Stork males have dark brown eyes while the females have bright yellow eyes. Number 3: Eye color can vary seasonally. A small handful of birds that we currently know about will change eye color during breeding season. The Brown Pelican male's eyes will change from a brown color to a light blue at the beginning of breeding season and remain blue until incubation begins. The male Great Blue Heron's eyes will turn red during breeding season and be yellow the rest of the year. Female chickens eye color may change when they are laying eggs.             There are a few birds that are able to change their eye color based on their mood. They can expand or contract the blood vessels in their eyes to change the color of the iris. We actually have a bird in our own backyard that can do this, the Inca Dove.             For those of you who are cross-country birders, you may be familiar with one last reason that the same species of birds can have varied eye color, population differences. Species that have a large habitat range can develop differences in eye colored based on the eye color that is most popular in a specific region. For example, a House Finch from Arizona might have a slightly different eye color from a House Finch born in New Jersey. They will most likely be in the same range of color but they can vary.   Kiersten: Now that we know what kind of colors exist in birds' eyes, let's look at how these colors are created. In humans' eyes different levels of melanin create our eye color. Melanin is also involved in creating color in bird feathers, for more on this please check out our previous podcast on feathers. If you are thinking melanin is involved in creating bird eye color, you're partially right!             There are a variety of pigments, blood vessel dilation, colorless oil droplets, collagen fibers, and other structural features that create the colors that we see in bird eyes. According to the 2023 research paper, color created by chemical pigments are created by living cells called chromatophores which is unique to avian eyes. To further amaze us, we cannot assume that one bird with a red eye created by the carotenoid pigment means that all birds with red eyes have carotenoids making their eyes red. For example, Canvasbacks, Red-eyed Vireos, and Bronzed Cowbirds all have red eyes but they are all produced by different means. Canvasbacks red eyes are created by carotenoids, Red-eyed Vireos are created by another pigment called pteridines, and the red eyes of Bronzed Cowbirds are caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the eye. The known mechanical contributors of bird eye color are carotenoids, melanins, purines, pteridines which are all pigments, and blood vessels, collagen fibers, oil droplets, and cholesterols. Birds can have reflective structures such as a crystalline pteridine or purine, colorless oil droplets, or collagen bundle in the eye that often creates the lighter colors. To create, color birds can have one or a combination of any of these. Species with only pigments present in the eye typically have a duller eye color such as the Northern Flicker and the Cactus Wren. Now, I'm not saying their eyes aren't a nice color or even a pretty color, I mean more like the difference between a shiny new penny versus an older well-worn penny.  Birds with only reflective structures in the eye have a white iris, like the Acorn Woodpecker.             Generally speaking, birds with darker eyes have more melanins while birds with lighter eyes have more purines and pteridines. Birds with bright, almost sparkling eyes have reflective structures such as crystalline purines or pteridines, collagen bundles or oil in the eye. The next question is why do birds have so many different eye colors?   Cheryl: The answer is….. we don't really know. Very little research has actually been done on eye color in birds. What we can do is generalize about eye color based on other attributes of birds. We know that birds that molt into adult colors do not breed until they have their adult color pattern, that could be a reason for juvenile change of eye color as well. The change of eye color may indicate readiness to breed. The same can be said for changing colors before breeding season. A male with a good head of feathers can indicate a healthy male and attract female attention. This might be the same reason for the change of eye color before breeding season begins.             Other reasons could be survival. The birds with a particular eye color survive best and they are the ones to pass down their genetics. Maybe the eye color allows them to camouflage better than other individuals. Maybe it's based on how they obtain food. Foragers versus hunters? Is there a pattern to who has which eye color? What about their habitat? We do know that birds that live in sunnier places have more melanin in their feathers because it makes them last longer. Maybe this is also true for their eye color? Maybe the melanin protects their eyes. Does the eye color have anything to do with communication between individuals of the same species? We know that wing postures, feather color, and sound are all important in communication, maybe eye color is as well. Or does none of this have anything to do with eye  color at all?             Sadly, we don't have the answers because no long-term research has been done on bird eye color. It is definitely a topic that needs much more attention in the future.   Kiersten: One of the things we can do as citizen scientists to help this research along is take pictures! Especially those of you with the patience for wild bird photography. Taking pictures of birds eyes with your telephoto lenses and uploading them to eBird will help these scientists move forward in their research.  Closing: What we've talked about in this podcast probably seems like a lot of information, but this research was only done on a small portion of bird families. We need much more research done concerning bird eye color. And, we don't know yet, but this could be the next big epiphany we have in animal behavior. What we know today is terribly fascinating, but I think many more amazing discoveries await us in the future.              

Today's episode has been cryogenically stored to safeguard all its information on the importance of Frozen Zoos and how they're helping modern day conservation work. We look at how cloning is bringing species back from the brink, get to know which animal is one of the most inbred in the world and take heart from the fact that extinction may not have to be forever...    We then take our Birda segment across the pond to meet the industrious Acorn Woodpecker before Roddy enters the ocean to do battle with a leviathan of the deep - the Leatherback Turtle. And finally, as any good podcast should, we round off by working out with animal would make the best teen babysitter for our non-existent children...   To learn more about our partners Birda and download their free birdwatching app, visit their website at https://birda.org/   To support the show by leaving us a donation to help keep growing the podcast, please visit: www.buymeacoffee.com/howmanygeese

On this week's episode of Go Gaddis Radio with Cleve Gaddis, we have Falls of Autry Mill on the Neighborhood Spotlight. Also are you considering purchasing a home but need help with the down payment? Here are some solutions and options for you. Finally, we discuss Acorn Woodpeckers and the effects on your property. Host of GoGaddis Radio, Cleve Gaddis, has been a fixture in metro Atlanta real estate since 2000. He has served Atlanta since 1987 by helping thousands of buyers and sellers make smart decisions. As a Co-Team Leader of Modern Traditions Realty Group, he is able to help clients and real estate agents alike. He has the heart of a teacher and is passionate about helping listeners learn the ups and downs and the ins and outs of smart home buying and selling all throughout metro Atlanta. If you have a question for Cleve, click here : https://gogaddisradio.com/ask-a-question If you are looking to buy or sell your home with Cleve, click here : https://www.moderntraditionsrealty.com/contact.html If you are looking to join a real estate team, click here : https://www.moderntraditionsrealty.com/career-opportunity

Summary: Learning to bird by ear is an important part of becoming an expert birder. Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they discuss four more southwest birds and play their songs and calls.   Show Notes: Bird song provided by Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Yellow-rumped Warbler recorded by Silvan Laan, Black-throated Sparrow recorded by Paul Marvin, Acorn Woodpecker recorded by Harriette Barker, and Eared Quetzal recorded by Andrew Spencer. Https://www.audubon.org https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/going-nutty-for-acorn-woodpeckers/#  

Acorn Woodpeckers: Listen carefully

For biologist and writer Wenfei Tong, the line between people and animals has always felt fuzzy — or maybe feathery, in the case of birds. Wenfei loves to highlight commonalities we share with birds, like how young adult Acorn Woodpeckers sometimes stay with their parents if there aren't good territories available for them to move into right away. She thinks that seeing ourselves in birds could be a boon for conservation.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

My guest is Rick Taylor, author of the recently-released Birds of Arizona field guide and one of my favorite pocketable field guides - Birds of Southeastern Arizona. Rick tells us about how he became interested in birds, what went into making this field guide, along with a deeper dive into some of the new features, like the range maps. The bird of the episode is the Eared Quetzal, a bird that he reported the first sighting of, in the United States, 45 years ago, to the day (10/15/77). We go on numerous tangents, discussing a number of different birds. In the background, you'll hear a variety of hummingbirds and the occasional Acorn Woodpecker. For more information on Birds of Arizona, please visit https://www.rwmorse.comFor pictures of some of the birds discussed on the podcast, please visit @lookingatbirdspodcast on Instagram.

The Acorn Woodpecker is found in parts of the western US. It chips small recesses out of trees to fit the acorns it will harvest throughout the fall. A family of Acorn Woodpeckers may use this storage tree, or granary, for generations. Some of them hold as many as 50,000 acorns. So does the Acorn Woodpecker just kick back and munch acorns all winter? Nope! In the weeks after a fresh acorn is lodged in a hole, it dries and shrinks. So Acorn Woodpeckers spend much of the winter shuttling acorns from one hole to another, finding just the right fit.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Tap into all your senses through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with her poem, "Softly Raining".Softly Raining, by Julie Potiker.An Acorn Woodpecker joined me as I sipped my morning coffee. Soon we were joined by a House Finch then an Allen's Hummingbird.Sitting under the carob trees I heard a crackling sound, a gentle snapping, as rain drops landed on the round green leaves, and dripped from the long leathery carob pods. Some of the drops make spots on the outdoor sofa, a drop now and then wetting my ankle, wrist and hair.As the rhythm of the water gets faster, and more complex, it smells like fresh baked brownies, and maybe something too ripe, and sour, fermenting. The rain is now singing, the birds a mere whisper. I make my way inside to shelter from the rain, hoping to hear the bird symphony again tomorrow.-Softly Raining by Julie Potiker Get the latest on mindfulness and meditation by subscribing to Julie Potiker's YouTube channel and Facebook page at Mindful Methods for Life. You can learn about mindfulness at www.MindfulMethodsForLife.com and also in Julie's newly released book, "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't Have To: Mindful Methods For Staying Calm In The Midst Of Chaos", available on Amazon.com. Her podcast is "Balanced Mind with Julie Potiker", available on iTunes, iHeart, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

An amazing bird, at least 1,200 miles from its normal range, turned up at Russell Stewart's house in Carlton County last week.

Bob and Gia talk about a woodpecker that is only found in parts of California. Thanks to Nic for using Merlin to find this bird! Related episodes: Merlin Magic, Downy Woodpeckers Support Their Mates, Acorn Woodpeckers and The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy Our sources for this episode include: The Merlin Bird ID App by The Cornell Lab The Cornell Lab All About Birds Thomas Nuttail -The Oregon Encyclopedia Nuttall's Woodpecker – Whatbird.com Meet the Nuttall's Woodpecker Thomas Nuttail article in The Popular Science Monthly, Volume 46

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian brings the acorn woodpecker to trial for its rampant vandalism & Ellen goes for a ride in a time machine with the West African lungfish. Along the way, we discuss the physics of using your face as a jackhammer, snot cocoons, and Sonic hedgehog. Cover photos: Luis Echeverri Urrea via Getty images (woodpeckers), voltan1 via Getty images (lungfish)

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian brings the acorn woodpecker to trial for its rampant vandalism & Ellen goes for a ride in a time machine with the West African lungfish. Along the way, we discuss the physics of using your face as a jackhammer, snot cocoons, and Sonic hedgehog. Cover photos: Luis Echeverri Urrea via Getty images (woodpeckers), voltan1 via Getty images (lungfish)

We humans aren't the only species into violent spectator sports.

Laura talks about a bird with a fascinating mating system. COMING IN A FEW MINUTES

With Mary Clark of Agents of Discovery What does the research say about using mobile apps and augmented reality (AR) to connect students to the outdoors in engaging and meaningful ways? How do these digital tools impact learners' conservation ethic? Can they have intergenerational appeal even though the average tech generation is only three tears? What does all of this mean for the future of experiential guides and nature interpreters in parks and other green spaces? Agents of Discovery CEO Mary Clark joined us to chat about all of this and more, including Acorn Woodpeckers, Smokey Bear, Snowy Owls, and… Betty White!?! Guest (from the Agents of Discovery website): Mary Clark is the CEO of Agents of Discovery. She​ ​is​ ​a​ ​dynamic​ ​leader​ ​with​ ​a​ ​passion​ ​for​ ​creating​ ​education​ ​technologies​ ​that​ ​change​ ​the​ ​world.​ A​ ​visionary​ entrepreneur​ ​who​ ​brings​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​perspective​ ​to​ ​product​ ​development, ​Mary​ brings years of experience as a teacher and science​ ​textbook writer​ to​ ​her​ ​executive​ ​role.​ ​She​ ​holds​ ​a​ ​B.Sc. (Honors)​ ​and​ ​B.Ed.​ ​from​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Alberta,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​an​ ​M.Ed.​ ​(with​ ​a​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​education technology)​ ​from​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​British​ ​Columbia. Mary has been the recipient of numerous awards, ranging from the Louise McKinney Award for Top Student at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Education, Edwin Parr Teacher Award for Best First Year Teacher in Alberta, and Canada's Top 50 women in STEM.

My first encounter with an acorn woodpecker occurred many years ago in California, a species unknown to me. I was surprised to find a small flock of these comedic-looking birds—most unusual for woodpeckers, which are generally solitary other than with mates or young. And those startling yellow eyes!

Acorn Woodpeckers live in family groups of up to 15 individuals. Over time, if enough birds die off, an opportunity arises for unrelated birds to join the group and obtain a mate. Then, battles known as “power struggles” begin. Birds from other family groups form coalitions, with up to 30 birds in

This was recorded on an early spring morning next to the stone fish traps at Ja She Creek in Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, Shasta County, California. Ja She Creek is more of a series of interconnected ponds than a creek in the classic sense, all of which are fed by countless underwater springs. The stone fish traps were constructed by the indigenous people who have inhabited the area for thousands of years, the Ajumawi(as spelled on the tribal website) band of the Pit River Tribe, for whom the park is named. The traps were made to catch Sacramento sucker fish, which were actively spawning as this recording was being made and can be heard splashing in the shallows at water's edge. You will also hear the raucous calls of both Stellar and Scrub Jay's, Acorn Woodpecker's, numerous songbirds, an abundance of waterfowl, and more. The recording starts just before sunrise and continues into the morning.  If you would like to see pictures of the area this was made, and a video of the Sacramento sucker fish spawning in the crystal clear waters of Ja She Creek, check out my Instagram and Facebook pages for the podcast. You can find both by searching @soundbynaturepodcast. Sound By Nature is produced by me with the generous support of listeners like you. If you appreciate field recordings which have been thoughtfully collected with respect for nature, and are completely free from advertising, perhaps you would like to support the podcast as well. Will you help me continue to provide you with these recordings by becoming a supporter? Your support will be used help me to keep giving you ad free, mindfully collected natural sound. I hope that you will consider supporting the podcast if you can. You can make a monthly contribution by clicking the support link at the end of this podcast description, and by visiting- http://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/ where you may also make a one time donation. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much to my monthly supporters for your ongoing support. Your contributions have helped me upgrade my equipment, which has hopefully improved your listening experience, they have helped cover the costs associated with gathering these recordings, and they motivate me to continue providing you with natural sounds. Soo, Paul, Meta Ariel, Benjamin, and Jill- I am truly grateful for your monthly support.  If you have any questions, comments, or criticisms you can email the podcast at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com. You can also get in touch with the podcast by visiting- https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/ I really hope that these recordings provide you with a bit of solace from the many stresses of life. Whether you use them to ease you into a restful night of sleep, help you achieve a meditative state of mind, or just for stress relieving natural ambience, I hope they benefit you in some small way. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay sound. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/soundbynature/support

Gia and Bob discuss one amazing woodpecker. If you live or travel to the west make sure you check this woodpecker out. This episode is part of our Keystone Species series. Thanks to Christina Zorn for the great research! Related woodpecker episodes: Wow it’s a Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpeckers Support Their Mates, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers Slurp Sap Keystone Species series: All About Alligators, Firefighting Beavers Our sources for this episode include: All About Birds USDA Fire effects Information Systems Wikipedia Animalia

Our two-mile hike gets off to a strong start with ACORN WOODPECKERS and a NATIVE PLANT GARDEN. The second episode in a series featuring  Sue Donecker, Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, Jim Mitchell, and Yulan Tong. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

More than 40 of the birds, in coalitions of three or four, may fight for days over oak trees in which to store their acorns.

More than 40 of the birds, in coalitions of three or four, may fight for days over oak trees in which to store their acorns.

He doesn't sound exactly like Woody Woodpecker, but the Acorn Woodpecker was probably the model for the cartoon character. The story goes that Walter Lantz and his new bride, Grace, were on their honeymoon in a cabin in California. A racket on their roof drew them outside, where they spotted an

In this episode of Little Yo Pod, we talk about a very important tree in Yosemite's history: Black Oaks! Learn all about how Black Oaks provide for animal species and contributed to early human settlement in Yosemite Valley.Resources:Yosemite Nature Notes Video on Black Oakshttps://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=FC5DD395-FE01-F69D-D17B7BF226A21B18NPS Information on Yosemite's Black Oakshttps://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/black-oaks.htmYosemite Indian Village of the Ahwahneehttps://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/indian-village-of-the-ahwahnee.htmHow Squirrels Organize Their Nutshttps://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/squirrels-really-organize-nuts.htmHow John Muir's Brand of Conservation Led to the Decline of Yosemitehttps://blogs.scientificamerican.com/primate-diaries/how-john-muir-s-brand-of-conservation-led-to-the-decline-of-yosemite/Email Me:littleyopod@gmail.comFacebook@littleyopodInstagram@littleyopod

Hannah and Erik live out a birding dream by braving another pelagic birding trip... this time with famed Shearwater Journeys! While in central California, they tour local hotspots to add a few California lifers to their list and find some great celebratory beers.Show NotesNorth America Has Lost Nearly 3 Billion BirdsDead in the Water: Popular Pesticides Harm NY WildlifeSeven Simple Actions to Help BirdsShearwater JourneysWorld Girl BirdersBusinesses we mentionedThe Monterey HotelAlvarado Street BrewereyTriple Rock BreweryeBird ListsLa Gloria Rd.Pinnacles National ParkSanta Ana Valley Rd.Hayward Regional ShorelineSan Pablo Bay NWRConnect with us at...IG: @Hannahgoesbirding and @ErikgoesbirdingTwitter: @WeGoBirdingFacebook: @HannahandErikGoBirdingEmail us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.comWebsite: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.comBird sounds found on this episode:Intro bird recording: Western Gulls in Monterey, California Sept, 2019Outro bird recording: Acorn Woodpecker in San Benito, California Sept, 2019

African Wild Dogs and Acorn Woodpeckers are the name of the game today, and we can't get over how impressive both of these animals are, from democratic family decisions to stashing food in water tanks, you'll be shocked too! Follow us on instagram @thewateringholepod Send us an email at thewateringholepod@gmail.com      

 Kelly is camping in her newly painted trailer known as "The Clubhouse." It is a 10.5 foot, 1967 trailer that has been decorated in a San Francisco Giants theme.  They have camped in The Clubhouse for 3 summers, but this is the first trip after it got the new paint job, had some water damage repaired, and had the interior re-paneled. This episode includes an audio field trip to the Mt. Madonna Campground in the Santa Cruz Mountains between Watsonville and Gilroy. It is a beautiful "on location" recording studio!     In the background you may hear Steller's Jays and Acorn Woodpeckers. The Acorn Woodpeckers make holes in trees and store their acorns in them like a winter pantry. They often take one tree and completely cover it with holes. On the visit here last November all the holes in the trees near the restroom were filled with acorns from the Tan Bark Oaks. On this trip all the holes were empty.     While on the camping trip, Kelly is knitting on two projects: the Dorthelia tank by Corrina Ferguson from the book that the Two Ewes reviewed last episode and the Featherweight Cardigan pattern by Hannah Fettig. The tank top is knit from red Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy yarn and the Featherweight is being knit with three cones of thread (two linen, one cotton) in blue, cream and mint green. Progress on the tank is fast, progress on the cardigan is slow!     The cardigan is a project from Kelly's rescued stash of coned weaving yarn. This project started with swatching during the Yarniacs Q1 Love the Yarn You Own challenge. (Link to Yarniacs episode 92.)  It was supposed to be finished in Q2, but that didn't happen. A couple of other stash projects that were more portable got in the way. This cardigan will be finished in Q3. Also started during the Q1 challenge are a set of dishtowels with turquoise as the main warp color and a Herbert Niebling doily in the Frosted Ferns pattern. (The name in English is not very accurate since the pattern is actually oak leaves and acorns.)   Both of these projects hit the rocks with mistakes, but have been righted and are now in full swing again for Q3. The challenge has been a great way to focus on using the stash of coned yarns that Kelly was itching to find a use for!     In our last episode Marsha was blocking her Blue Juno Cardigan by yellowcosmo made with Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silky Victoria. The fit is perfect! Marsha highly recommends the pattern and the yarn. Marsha continues to work on the Wispy Willow Cardigan by Cheryl Beckenrich made with HiKoo CoBaSi.   She cast on for a cardigan called Lanata by Amy Christoffers using StahlSche Wolle Limbo Superwash that was a destash yarn from a friend. The cardigan has raglan sleeves and is knit from the bottom up featuring lace panels that look like vines trailing up the front and back of the sweater.   Marsha talks about washing some of the Shetland fleece she bought last month at the Black Sheep Gathering. Since recording the episode she bought hand carders and has carded and started spinning the Shetland.   Marsha had an "advent-ewe" to Chicago the home of "Cloud Gate," or as the locals call it, "The Bean."     She had time to visit a few yarn shops and did a little stash enhancing. She saw:     A lovely shop named Loopy Yarns. She bought a skein of HPKY Regina Louise Lace in Shamrock.   An unusual shop called We'll Keep You in Stitches   A terrific shop named Windy Knitty Marsha bought a skein of Knitwhits Freia Fine Handpaints Ombre Lace and and Fleur de Fibers Acadian fingering in the color way "Puppet Bike" inspired by the Puppet Bike.   A super cute shop called Sifu Design Studio. Marsha bought a skein of Dragonfly Fibers Pixie Fingering "Zombie Apocalypse".   Her last stop was a crazy shop called Chicago Fabric Yarn and Button.   The Chicago Yarn Crawl will take place from August 1-9. If you're in the area be sure to check it out!     Marsha loves old houses and had time to visit three. She highly recommends visiting:   The Driehaus Museum   Henry B. Clarke House   John J. Glessner House Museum  

Studying the Acorn Woodpecker and its relation to the life of Oak trees in California Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21295]

Studying the Acorn Woodpecker and its relation to the life of Oak trees in California Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21295]

Studying the Acorn Woodpecker and its relation to the life of Oak trees in California Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21295]

Studying the Acorn Woodpecker and its relation to the life of Oak trees in California Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21295]

Research into the relationship of acorn woodpeckers to the life of oak trees at the University of California's Hastings natural reserve. Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21394]

Research into the relationship of acorn woodpeckers to the life of oak trees at the University of California’s Hastings natural reserve. Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21394]

Research into the relationship of acorn woodpeckers to the life of oak trees at the University of California’s Hastings natural reserve. Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21394]

Research into the relationship of acorn woodpeckers to the life of oak trees at the University of California’s Hastings natural reserve. Series: "UC Natural Reserve System" [Science] [Show ID: 21394]