Birding Trips Birding Classes Private Guiding Photos Other Offerings Droppings

 
 
 

Bird Photos: Rarities: Lewis's Woodpecker in Santa Clara County

The Fall of 2003 was notable for unusual wanderings of several species. On Sept. 28, 2003, 2 Pinyon Jays were found at Chews Ridge in Monterey Co. On Oct. 5, several more were found near Big Basin State Park, San Mateo Co. On Oct. 7, a Pinyon Jay was reported along Skyline Blvd. in both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. On a followup on Oct. 9, no Pinyon Jays were found, but at least 2 Lewis's Woodpeckers were seen in the same area. Acorn Woodpeckers had also been seen around Lake Tahoe, at higher than normal elevations and outside of their typical habitat.

   

Lewis's Woodpecker

    
   
 

This Lewis's Woodpecker was photographed along Skyline Blvd. across from the entrance to the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve on 10/17/03.

These first three images were digiscoped (shot with a digital camera through a spotting scope).

   
 

In an effort to understand these unsual wanderings, it's been suggested that the woodpecker species in question are influenced by the availability of acorns. I saw a communication by a botanist who monitors California oak acorn output and his observations were that the acorn crop throughout much of the state was generally low in quantity and quality. In this image, the Lewis's Woodpecker was in the process of pecking open and eating an acorn.

   
 

 
   
 

These flight shots seem to convey the unique, un-woodpeckerlike flight of the Lewis's Woodpecker. Rather than the undulating, bounding flight in which other woodpeckers fold their wings tightly to their bodies as they assume a football shape, Lewis's Woodpeckers flap in a more relaxed manner, like a crow.

The flight shots were taken with an image-stabilized telephoto lens and a digital SLR camera.

   
 

 
   
  In this shot, the woodpecker appears to have an unusually broad wingspan, and the underwing pattern resembles that of a Turkey Vulture.

 

PLEASE DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY IMAGE WITHOUT ACQUIRING PERMISSION TO DO SO. You may create links to these pages. All images on this page are copyrighted by Les Chibana. If you'd like to contact me about images on these pages, grab the pigeon on the left and send a note.
 
 

BirdNUTZ - Ornigasmic Birding
em: les@birdnutz.com • ph: 650-949-4335 • fx: 650-949-4137
SnailMail: SR 2, Box 335 • La Honda CA 94020

© 2004 BirdNUTZ • All rights reserved.