Giants and pygmies

 

The Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) of the Sierra Nevada are impossible to capture in pictures.  When mature, many trees are 200-300 feet high and 30 feet in diameter.  (The largest trees are over 3,000 years old!)  These images are from the Mariposa Grove on 16 October 2014.

I love the color and texture of the bark:

 

In contrast to these enormous trees, while walking along a path and enjoying the forest, a small gray bird flew in and landed on a lichen-covered branch.  Can you find it in the picture below?

 

It's near the center of the photo, just to the right of the trunk.

Do you know what kind of bird it is?  

The next image will give it away.

 

A Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)!  What a treat to be among some of the largest trees and to see one of the smallest owls!  Northern Pygmy-Owls are only ~6-7 inches long and weigh about 60-70 grams (2-2.5 ounces).  Note the relatively long, barred tail.

And did you notice that the owl had a prey item? 

 

I wish I could tell what the owl had caught.  It looks like a small mammal, gray in color, and perhaps with soft fur (like a mole or shrew?).  If you have any ideas, let me know!

P.S.  Although you won't find Giant Sequoias near Bodega Head (they only grow in the Sierras), you might find Northern Pygmy-Owls nearby.  They've been observed in the Willow Creek area. 

Peering and probing

 

Before we left Yosemite yesterday, we went on a short walk in the Mariposa Grove.  Along with the trees (which I'll talk about later), there were a few bird highlights.

I've hardly spent any time in the Sierras, so this was my first time seeing this striking black-and-white woodpecker typically associated with montane forests dominated by pines (especially Ponderosa Pines).

White-headed Woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus) are known for their dominantly jet black plumage, although in the right light you could see glossy bluish feathers (similar to ravens):

 

I read more about this species when I returned to the coast and learned that their diet includes pine seeds and invertebrates.  According to the Birds of North America account, White-headed Woodpeckers often feed on tree trunks that are furrowed or plated (containing lots of fissures).  And these woodpeckers are known for peering and probing, and flaking and gleaning, rather than hammering and boring into the bark.  The following images illustrate the peering and probing behaviors:

 

 

 

You probably noticed the small red spot (formally called a nuchal patch) on the back of this individual's head, indicative of a male.  Here's a better view of it:

 

We actually saw two woodpeckers, and the first was a female, lacking the red nuchal patch.  She was foraging in a place that made her more difficult to photograph, but I think it's still a decent comparison (see below).  Observations suggest that White-headed Woodpecker pairs remain together year-round.

 

What a way to end our trip — watching White-headed Woodpeckers weave their ways across wide trunks in wondrous woods!