Acorn Woodpecker, Marin County, California

Photo of an acorn woodpecker peering out of its nest cavity.
A male acorn woodpecker looks out of its nest.

This acorn woodpecker and its mate nested in this tree cavity next to my friend Jeff’s garage in Inverness this past spring.  Jeff kept an eye on the nest, but never saw any young.  That’s the way it goes sometimes.

They are colorful birds.  Their habit of storing acorn nuts in the holes they create in trees, fences and anything else made of wood can make them unpopular when they decide to store their nuts in the wood siding of a house.