Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-08
THE CALIFORNIA wooDPEcKER.
Its Foresight in Providing a Food
Supply.
From the Los Angeles Herald,

From the Los Angeles Herald.
Real. genuine forethought is a thing with
which birds are but seldom charged. Ma
ture teaches her feathered children to build
their nests in anticipation of the netting
time. But that bird should think out sew
eral steps of natural phenomenon and de-
liberately plan several weeks ahead for
banquets of bird delicacies is almost too
much for the most ready believer.
But the California woodpecker. as hand.
some a bird as ever lived on the side of a
tree, must be given the credit OF being
really a thinker and planner He is coli
lege professor-nay. logician-among his
kind.
Have you ever seen acorrs on sycanors
trees?" is a question often PUT to the tour
list in California. No matter what he an
swers he v driven into the country. and
there actually shown the sight-acorns on
sycamores. For In many parts of the
south. trees, both sycamore and oak. may
be seen With the bark drilled full OF holes
and with live oak acorn In every hole.
These trees are thus decorated by the
woodpecker at infinite cost of labor and
truly with foresight. Finding a dead tree
or one with bark to his taste, the wood
pecker will commence the drilling of small
holes, usually In rows. Each hole IL made
Of the diameter OF ones second finger and
a depth of about an inch Trees may BIO
seen that are literally pockmarked with
successive generations OF Industrious wood
peckers.
The holes drilled By actual work of a
bill, each opening has hammered into II a
live oak acorn Scientists have watched
these birds at their work. They hammer
away at various holes. remaining only n
short time at each. Then they fly away In
search of acorns which they carry from
considerable distances in their claws, often
dropping the slippery mats. With the beak
the nut IL started into hole just large
enough, and not a hairs breadth too large,
to receive 1t. Again the hammerjng beak
Ia used, and the nut In driven tight and fast
into the place. So tight are the fits often
OF these acorns that II il almost in1possible
to get them out with ones fingers. The
tempts to pick out these stored-up treas
mes.
But in this where 10 there anything %
wonderful? Do not many birds and insects
wherein lies the forethouGht Of the wood
pecker? The truth OF the matter - that
when the little thinker puts an acorn IN
its proper and to him expensive hole, II 10
not at all because he has an acorn tooth.
He sees Q step ahead. for he knows that
worms will form IN each acorn. and then
worms are the ultimate object Of his tolls.
Holes in trees are fun to build ana VIII
keep acorns on the ground. out OF reach OF
pigs and other natural processes OF destsue-
ton. Sooner or later woem8 Will form in
acorns-and what food can q woodpecker
have better than wogme7 Surely tho htt1D
fellow has sound sen1e when he sets hlQ
table often weeks ahead Of his feast OF
erubs. He looks well ahsad.
This explanation Of the tact that wool
peckers ACTUALLY do drin and NIL t2zougns1e
Of holes in dead trees 10 very often doubte4,
Yet it IN put forward ~ . fact by mlxH
careful observers and II really q story THAI
does great credit TO the woodpecker.