Just a note to confirm the little troop of Acorn Woodpeckers soldier on along upper Meadow Road in Rafter J sub-division above Durango in La Plata County. We observed one sunning itself in a tall ponderosa snag on the south side of the valley a few hundred yards downhill from where the pavement ends this week. A human resident of Meadow Road and long-time observer of this species reports as many as five gathering at his feeders this winter season.
This same resident finds ravens amusing, and one or two have become quite confiding and accepting of handouts. Somehow, can't imagine quite how, he discovered they quite fancy "donut holes." Last week he tossed said golf-ball sized confection to a raven when an acorn woodpecker swooped down, seized the prize, rocketed downslope and disappeared with raven in hot pursuit. Now, chumming for ACWOs with donut holes is an unproven technique, especially since it was unspecified whether cinnamon of confectioners-sugar dusted was favored; however, if seeking this avian Colorado rarity in mid-winter, these little projectiles, accompanied by a thermos of cocoa, make life more bearable for birders. One often must wait for the sun to reach down into the valley and warm the snag-trees which can be 9:30 or 10 o'clock this time of year. You might even find a friendly, expectant raven nearby. Peter Derven -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
