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I saw this Acorn Woodpecker clutching a fence yesterday as I was driving up to Silver Falls State Park. It was my first photograph of the day, taken around 6:30, and there’s something fitting about that since once of this woodpecker’s calls sounds like wakeup-wakeup-wakeup.

I like their clown faces. But more than that, I feel an affinity for Acorn Woodpeckers, which are well-known for their complex social behavior. They form colonies of a dozen or more individuals, share food, and raise young in community.

Acorn Woodpeckers: The Official Bird of Co-housing.

Location: Silverton, Oregon

Date: May 1, 2021

Exposure: 1/80 second, f/6.3, ISO 2500

Focal Length: 600 mm

Gear:

• Camera: Nikon D750

• Lens: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary