Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) photos by Larry Jordan
Last week my friend Gary Stacey, the new Wintu Audubon Society president, took me out on Shasta Lake in search of Purple Martins (Progne subis). You see, Gary had told me that last year when he was out on the lake he saw Purple Martins feeding their young, and had gotten a good close look at their nest sites (without disturbing them of course).
Well, I had only seen Purple Martins nesting high up in a snag near Lake Britton and never gotten a good look at them. Being the largest swallow in North America and among the largest in the world, as well as being one of the most popular backyard birdhouse residents in the Eastern United States, you would think that I would have remedied that situation by now, but no. The prospect of observing Purple Martins feeding their young in a natural cavity on the lake was a very exciting prospect for me.
You see, this species in eastern North America now breeds almost entirely in backyard birdhouses. Its conversion to human-made martin houses from ancestral nest sites—abandoned woodpecker holes in dead snags—was almost complete before 1900; only a few records of natural nestings east of the Rocky Mountains have been reported during the twentieth century. Yet in the mountain forests, deserts, and coastal areas of western North America, where the species is less common, it still nests almost exclusively in woodpecker holes or natural cavities. Few other species show such a marked or abrupt geographic difference in use of nest sites1.
Shasta Lake is an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam across the Sacramento River in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest of Shasta County, California. It is the largest reservoir in the state.
When they created the lake, the trees that were growing in the Pit River arm were left intact and are now seen as snags in that arm of the lake. Perfect habitat for cavity nesting birds.
Acorn and other varieties of woodpeckers help create thousands of nest cavities for several species of birds (click on photos for full sized images).
However, as we traveled further and further up the Pit River arm looking for the elusive Purple Martin we began to worry that we might be too early in the season to see them. We got great looks at Osprey, Bald Eagles, an Eared Grebe and several Clark’s Grebes…
we also spotted several Common Mergansers in various locations.
We finally began seeing Tree Swallows at some of the snags…
and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.
Then, along the south side of the main waterway of the Pit River arm…
we spotted some much larger swallows flying with the Tree Swallows…
they were Purple Martins! The iridescent blue male on the left and the lighter bellied female on the right.
We only saw six Purple Martins in the four hours we were out there on the lake, but we did see them, and I will definitely go back in a few weeks to see if I can find a nesting pair feeding their young.
If you want to see more great bird photos from around the world, check out World Bird Wednesday and share some of your birding adventures!
References: 1Birds of North America Online
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i love to see those cool acorn woodpeckers! and great grebe shot, too!
Great sequence!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
How fabulous that you did locate a pair to photograph. Along the way you took many other fine photos as well. 🙂
Great captures!
Beautiful post! How great to see so many woodpeckers at the same place.
Great post, Larry! I love the Acorn Woodies. How cool to see a group of them, I wish I was there to see them too.
Larry, your day out on the lake sounds like it was terrific and I’m tickled that you saw the Purple Martins. I hope you get to see them feeding their young.
Great photos and very interesting adaptations for nesting between the birds in the east and the west. I hope those you photographed will always have those natural tree cavities to use.
Whoa…what a suspenseful but wonderful adventure!!!
Hopefully the Purple Martins will thrive. Looking forward to the sequel. 🙂
Wonderful captures of the birds! Loved going through your series particularly the woodpeckers and the mergansers.
Hi there – glad you got to see the Purple Martins – now all you need are some pictures of them on the wing!!
Cheers – Stewart M
Great pictures to illustrate such interesting information. I have a Purple martin house high on a pole in my back yard. It has been there for years and forever unoccupied. Still waiting!
Awesome stuff Larry!
Glad you found what you were looking for Larry. I am not sure I have seen Tree Martens, although I may have recently in our arid lands.
Such a great and undisturbed habitat for them. I do hope you get to photograph them with their broods.
I just love the swallows – they always seem to be smiling 🙂
OH MY, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PURPLE MARTIN, THAT I KNOW OF FOR SURE, THOUGH THEY ARE NEAR BY. YOU GOT SOME SPLENDID SHOTS OF OTHER BIRDS ALONG THE WAY, YET THOSE MARTINS ARE GEMS!
What agreat series of shots Larry! And also very informative. I love the Acorn Woodpeckers. Those Purple Martins are a great find.