Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020

Location: Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley, CA (37.91435, -122.60926)

Site descriptions: Our sighting location was an area on Mount Tamalpais. The habitat was a mixed coniferous forest with many Douglas firs and oaks. The terrain and surrounding area seemed fairly dry. Some of the key species found in this area were Acorn Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon), and the Northern Flicker (Red-shafted).

Species account: A species we came across for the first time was the Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus). This species belongs to the order Piciformes and family Picidae. We first saw this species when we walked to an outdoor amphitheater pictured above, where they were flying from tree to tree and perched on a wooden fence. A feature that makes them distinct is their clownish face and red plumage. Males typically have a red cap and whiteish forehead, where females have a black cap and the red is restricted to the back of the head. They are medium-sized birds with straight, spikey bills and wedged tailed that are used for support. Acorn Woodpeckers live in large groups and often gather acorns and hide them in self-made holes in tree trunks (pictured below). We learned that these birds have great memory, as they are able to remember the exact place where each acorn is stored. Often throughout the time spent at Mount Tamalpais, we heard their loud, squeaky calls. These woodpeckers live in oak forests in the Southwest and West Coast.

Narrative: During this trip, we walked along a clear trail on Mount Tamalpais, surrounded by a variety of tall trees. I noticed that many of the trees were dead oaks with holes, indicating the presence of Acorn Woodpeckers nesting or hiding acorns. The weather was clear, the sun was out, and there was slight to no wind. We did not see many species or new species compared to our last few trips. I mainly observed birds we had come across before, such as Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Common Ravens. The only new species we saw were the Acorn Woodpeckers, Band-tailed Pigeon, and Northern Flicker, which was surprising because the weather was very nice out.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S65160680?share=true

Work Cited:

“Acorn Woodpecker Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acorn_Woodpecker/id?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm8i9oor75wIVFq5kCh1kGQabEAAYASAAEgK-wPD_BwE.

“Acorn Woodpecker.” Audubon, 11 Oct. 2019, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/acorn-woodpecker.