The Great Remember: All About the Birds - From San Diego to Morongo Canyon and Back Again

Female - Hairy Woodpecker

Day 2 Sighting: Hairy Woodpecker (female)
Spotted in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park on the West Mesa Loop Trail along Cold stream: she was excavating for insects in a sycamore tree for a good 45 minutes, while patiently and with snacks, we sat at the fork of the trailhead watching bark and small branches rain down from the tree. 

FUN FACTS!
Hp's are prolific North American woodpeckers. Mating pairs share incubating responsibility. Perhaps that's why they are so prolific ;) Males incubate at night and females during the day (and now, in my head, I sing "Ladies Night" by Kool and the Gang). Okay, sorry, no more commentary.

Female - Downey Woodpecker

Collective nouns are a "descent," "drumming" or "gatling" of woodpeckers. Average size is 9.5 inches, considered medium-sized. You can find them in deciduous forests throughout Canada, US, and Mexico. Watch out! HP's can be confused for the Downey woodpecker, a much smaller species with almost identical markings. A good way to differentiate them is DP's bill is shorter relative to head size.