These Acorn Woodpeckers store thousands of acorns every year
Author
Jeff Mann
Date Published
This weekend I went to Placerita Canyon to watch Acorn Woodpeckers collect acorns to store in their special trees.
Placerita Canyon is home to Oak of the Golden Dream where gold was first discovered in California leading to the gold rush.
Acorn Woodpeckers are known for drilling holes in tree bark and storing acorns in them for the winter. They choose a few trees, referred to as “granary trees” then work as a group to drill holes and store as many acorns as possible. Woodpeckers across many generations keep adding additional holes to the trees.
The granary trees
The woodpeckers chose a few trees next to the parking lot for their nut storage. Thankfully, there is a bench near the trees where you can relax and watch the busy birds.
The Acorn Woodpecker granary trees.
Multiple woodpeckers flew to the various nearby oak trees where they plucked an acorn and took it to an empty hole to peck in tight.
The woodpecker putting its acorn in the perfect spot
Then the woodpecker taps the nut snugly into the hole
Among the living granary trees was a dead tree absolutely covered and filled with acorns already. You can see them stuffed into every nook and cranny lol.
Acorns are piled into even the big cavities
They try to fill every available hole with an acorn.
Time for some water
Next to the granary trees was a footbridge leading to the Acorn Amphitheater. Movement caught my eye and I noticed an Acorn Woodpecker land on the bridge and begin drinking the morning dew off the rail.
An Acorn Woodpecker drinking morning dew from the bridge rail
A moment later, a California Srub-Jay bullied the woodpecker away so it could drink too.
Jays get thirsty too
The California Scrub-Jay looking fine
I read on Birds of The World that the Acorn Woodpeckers live in groups and sleep cuddled together in a tree hole. Isn't that cute?
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