WOODPECKERS

Preparing a woodpecker for winter.

 First he finds a dead tree and starts making holes for the acorns.  Each hole is made very thoughtfully, because if the hole is large, 

other birds can easily steal the acorn.  

If the hole is narrow, the nut can break and deteriorate.  By the end of summer, the woodpecker's "jewelry" work ends, by this time the acorns ripen and take their places in the tree.  The trunk of a large tree can hold about 50,000 acorns, allowing the bird a satisfying winter.

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I went to OUTDOOR ED with my fifth grader. It was an amazing few days. I actually got to go twice. The kids had a blast. The program was run beautifully, up near Prescott Arizona. I still have treasures from each time I went. All four of my children got to go as fifth graders, it was an awesome event each time. 

When I was there the first time, in February that year, it snowed. I felt like a kid. I had never been in the snow like that before, in the woods, in a cabin. It was awesome. I had never seen a woodpecker before. I’m the city girl from Phoenix. There are no woodpeckers there. But listening to that bird beat his beak on that tree was amazing. Then inspecting the tree and finding hundreds of acorn filled holes, literally blew my mind. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. I am still in awe of those brilliant birds and their food storage genius!