Pic of the Day

Gila Woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis:  Gilbert Water Ranch: Gilbert, Arizona

     Adult male gila Woodpecker returning to nest in a saguaro cactus with a spider.  

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/4000 second @ f/7.1

Pic of the Day

Gila Woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis:

Gilbert Water Ranch; Gilbert, Arizona

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/640 sec. @ f9

Pic of the Day

Gila Woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis:

                                                 Gilbert Water Ranch; Gilbert, Arizona
        In June the Saguaro Cactus fruit ripens and most of the desert animals feast on the fruit's red meat and seeds.  Here, a female Gila Woodpecker pauses for this portrait as she eats.  The saguaro fruit is also one of the staples she feeds to her nestlings.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/800 sec. @ f8

Pic of the Day

Bringing home the grub!

     During the course of photographing a Gila Woodpecker at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Arizona, I had the opportunity to see the parent birds bringing a varitey of food to their nestling.   The male was the major provider,  bring morsals on an average of four times more often than the female. 

Gila Woodpecker - Melanerpes uropygialis, bringing seeds to nestlings 

     The female typically brought small spiders and what appeared to be seeds.  The male  brought a variety of different foods to the nest on a regular basis.  Like the female, the male brought the seed like food, but the male 
also brought larger spiders and other insects

Gila Woodpecker - Melanerpes uropygialis, bringing a spider to nestlings

     The male also brought large gurbs.  Usually every third or fourth trip included a large grub.  But the diet of the Gila woodpecker is not just seeds and insects.  

Gila Woodpecker - Melanerpes uropygialis, with grub 

     As the fruit of the Saguaro began to ripen the saguaro jelly became a staple as well.  I happen to hit the desert as the fruit was beginning to ripen.  Many birds were feeding on the saguaro fruit, and this Gila was certainly making a mess of it, bringing its beak filled to the brim with the jelly like fruit.

Gila Woodpecker - Melanerpes uropygialis, bringing saguaro fruit  to nestlings.

Note:  Also see post for July 2, 2013

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, on tripod

Pic of the Day

Gila Woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis:  Gilbert Water Ranch; Gilbert, Arizona

     This Gila Woodpecker was nesting in a giant Saguaro cactus at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Arizona.  The nest was only ten feet off the ground and provided a great opportunity for photography.  I took photos of the male and female as they brought insects, grubs and Saguaro fruit to their young that were nestled inside the nest cavity.

     After taking shots of the birds at the cavity I tried to get some shots as the woodpecker flew to the nest.  I wanted a shot with wings out stretched, and feet reaching out toward the cactus; I wanted the bird in midair.  After a few test shots I upped the ISO to 800 in order to obtain a 1/3200th of a second shutter speed. I could not believe how fast woodpeckers flew as they zipped toward their nest. 

     Standing in the hot sun I shot exposure after exposure trying to catch the wings in just the right position.  No exposure looked right and I was constantly telling myself as the heat intensified, just one more shot to get the wings right.  Again the bird flew to the nest cavity.  I shot a burst of frames, looked at the images and would say to myself, just one more shot.  Soon the woodpecker returned to the cavity and I would get another shot, look at the image and tell myself, just one more shot.

     As the sun climbed, I became hotter and thirstier.  I had finished my bottle of water earlier in the morning and I was so dry I felt like a cowboy from a 1950’s western crossing a desert, dying of thirst.  Standing behind my camera the sun beat down on me with penetrating intensity.  I began to squirm where I was standing, feeling a bit dazed, thinking about the cold bottle of water awaiting me in my van.  But I wanted just one more chance to get the image of the Gila Woodpecker just right. I had come close in previous shots, but close was not what I wanted. 

     Out of the corner of my eye I saw the male Gila fly to the staging perch it had been using all morning.  After perching at the staging point for a few seconds it flew to the nest hole.  I shot a burst of images as the bird took flight, hoping that I had captured the image I wanted so that I would get out of the heat.  I took a quick look at the images and found the shot I sought.  Zooming in on the frame, it looked sharp.  What a relief, I picked-up my camera and tripod then headed to my van for that ice cold bottle of water.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/3,200 second @ f6.3, ISO 800

Pic of the Day

Gila Woodpecker at nest;
Catalina State Park, Arizona

     Gila Woodpecker; Melanerpes uropygialis and Brown-crested Flycatcher; Myiarchus tyrannulus– Catalina State Park; Tucson, Arizona:  

     When I arrived at Catalina State Park this summer the first thing I saw was the open fruit on the gigantic saguaro cactus at the parks entrance.  A number of the cacti were covered with open fruit and a plethora of birds were visiting the cacti to feed on the fruit.  I had arrived at just the right time of the year, many of the species that nest in southeast Arizona were breeding and feeding their nestling saguaro fruit. 

     This Gila Woodpecker was found forty feet from the park entrance nesting in a saguaro cactus. Saguaros live from 150 to 200 years and can reach heights of 70 feet.  Judging from the size of the arms that was on this particular saguaro its age must excide 150 to 175 years.

Saguaro Cacti, Organ Pipe National Monument

     Saguaros are the trees of the forest and home to many desert species from mammals and reptiles to birds.  Woodpeckers like this Gila, drills holes into the cactus just like it would a tree.  In fact, the internal structure of the saguaro is an intricate intertwined woody ribbed structure, necessary to support a cactus that weighs 10 to 15 tons.  Yes, 10 to 15 tons……seems unbelievable.

     Once the cavity is excavated the cactus begins to secrete a mucus (for a better word) that coats the damage.  The coating stops the loss of precious water stored in the cactus.  The harden cavity becomes a perfect home for the birds and other wildlife that inherit the cavity over time.  Even after a saguaro dies and falls to the ground, the cavity, called a boot serves as a dwelling for ground creatures.

     Other birds that use the excavated cavities of the woodpeckers are Elf Owls, Ash-throated and pictured here, the Brown-crested Flycatchers.  In spring and summer and fall the saguaro provides much need insulation from the head and in winter, insulation from the cold. 

     Saguaro Cactus are found only in Arizona, with a few spilling over into extreme southeastern California and in western Sonara, Mexico.  I will post more birds photographed in Catalina State Park and the desert southwest in future updates.

Gila Woodpecker:  Nikon D7000, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/500 second @ f8, Tripod
Saguaro Cacti: Nikon F4, Kodachorme 64, exposure unknown, Tripod
Brown-crested Flycatcher: Nikon D7000, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/160 second @ f7.1, Tripod

Brown-crested Flycatcher at nest:
Catalina State Park, Arizona