Acorn Woodpeckers (AZ)
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This is the third year attempting to attract Elf Owls to this box.
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Species: Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) Location: Huachuca Mountains, AZ. Status: Cam offline for the season. View comments View donor list |
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Daily Highlights:
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Aug. 17 - For the past few days no
woodpeckers have been roosting or visiting the box. Here's a male
leaving just after 5am on Aug. 13. It is likely the Huachuca population
of Acorn Woodpeckers migrates to the oak forests in the Sierra Madre of
Mexico once their food sources are exhausted. |
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Aug. 6 - This bird appears to be peeking through the drainage holes. The woodpeckers have been in and out of the box today. |
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Aug. 2 - Today we had three acorn woodpeckers roosting in the same box. Three in a box clip! (From 7-31) |
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Jul. 31 - Acorn woodpeckers have
a complicated social structure. As no clutch has been initiated, it is
unclear if these birds are mates, siblings, or something else. |
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Jul. 30 - Two birds in the box again, looking closer than ever. |
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Jul. 26 - In this image, it almost looks as if the woody is pecking inside the box. |
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Jul. 24 - The woodpecker stayed
in this same position for hours last night. It's unclear which
direction the tail fathers are facing in. |
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Jul. 19 - Both birds in the box again finally! |
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Jul. 18 - A nice color image of the pretty patterns on the woodpecker's head. |
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Jul. 17 - One of the woodpeckers preening in the box at night. The other has not been seen for awhile. |
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Jul. 10 - Only one woodpecker has occupied the box for the last two days. |
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Jul. 5 - The rainy season should
be coming to a close. If these two are going to initiate a clutch, it
should happen in the next week. |
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Jun. 30 - With their heads
tucked into their chests, one can't help but notice the heart shaped
pattern made by the two sleeping woodpeckers. |
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Jun. 28 - By looking at the
facial patterns of this female, it is easy to see why these birds are
often described as "clown-like." |
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Jun. 26 - They continue to roost together. Though, the night of Jun. 27 they were not seen in the box. |
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Jun. 20 - In Arizona Acorn Woodpecker breeding is delayed until the monsoon season in late June. |
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Jun. 15 - A male Acorn Woodpecker is paused at the box opening this evening and peering out giving us a glimpse of his red crown. |
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Jun. 13 - She arrives at 7:48pm and here's a clip of her for about an hour condensed to 13 sec: Acorn Woodpecker Roosting |
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Jun. 8 - Take a close look at the woodpecker's zygodactyl feet (two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing backwards) used to cling to vertical surfaces. |
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Jun. 2 - Another visitor to the box for a few minutes. We think it is a Dusky-capped Flycatcher. |
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Jun. 2 - See above |
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Jun. 2 - See above |
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Jun. 2 - Just a reminder that
since we are using an Infrared camera it only picks up a limited range
of wavelengths, so there is not enough information to generate a color
image. The acorn woodpecker crown in daylight is actually red. |
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Jun. 1 - The woodpecker is seen leaving the box before 5 am most mornings. |
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May 29 - The female Acorn
Woodpecker is briefly joined by another member of its species.
Sometimes more than one Acorn Woodpecker will lay eggs in the same nest. |
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May 22 - An Acorn Woodpecker roosts in the nest box overnight! |
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May 18 - The swallow has returned today and we hope to see the Elf Owl again soon! |
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May 3 - Today we were rewarded with a wonderful image of the Elf Owl roosting in the nest box. |
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May 2 - A swallow has decided to pay a visit to the nest site! |
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Apr. 30 - The first shot of the Elf Owl this season! |
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Apr. 28 - Our first clear image after the cam came back online today shows a pair of Acorn Woodpeckers roosting in the nest box! |
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Apr. 8 - A glimpse of an Acorn Woodpecker roosting in the early morning. |
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Apr. 7 - The Eastern Bluebird is
another visitor to this nest location. Last year, a female
bluebird laid four eggs but unfortunately abandoned the nest before
hatching. |
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Apr. 4 - One of many images of
Acorn Woodpecker activity in the nest box today. Acorn
Woodpeckers can deter other species from trying to use this nest
for breeding. |
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Mar.
29 - Our first image of activity at the nest box. So far the only
visits to the nest site have been from Acorn Woodpeckers. It has
not been uncommon for this species to visit this nest location in past seasons. |