Photo credit: ©Kip Evans
This isn’t the most common woodpecker at Point Lobos, but its characteristic clown-like face and harsh vocal sounds make it the most easily identifiable. You can find them in the forest nearest the highway, e.g., from the South Plateau Trail, which has oak trees mixed in with the pines. Listen for a variety of calls, including “wacka-wacka-wacka (etc.)” and the name of our former president, “Barack!”
These birds are aptly named, as they harvest acorns and store them in ”granaries” for use during the seasons when oak trees are not producing. Their favorite granaries are dead pine trees after the bark has peeled off, but they have been known to use wooden power poles, fence posts, and even houses! (Some homeowners not amused by that.)