[PDF] Old Horny, Yosemite's Unicorn Buck - Yosemite Online

6 YOSEMITE NATURE NOTESFeeding Habits of the Woodpeckers in theYosemite ValleyEnid MichaelPileated Woodpecker (Phloeoto- louder and more deliberate thanmus pileatus ableticola—The pileat- that of any other woodpecker.ed woodpecker is a rare bird on The daily forage beat of a pair ofthe floor of the Valley ; in fact, at pileated woodpeckers may cover athe present time I believe that there distance of eight or ten miles . Ais not a single bird here. However, pair that formerly hunted togetherin times past we have had opportunityto study their feeding habits.In foraging the pileated woodpeckershere in the Valley show apreference for cottonwoods — atleast we have discovered them atwork most often in this species oftree. They do, however, we havelearned, have a catholic taste and onoccasion they may be found in anysort of tree. In all trees. no matterof what species, they usually workin dead wood, although at timesthey may be found working in thebeetle-infested bark of living trees.They use their powerful bills bothas a wedge and a chisel . In thecottonwoods, using their bills as awedge or a pry, they often sendthudding down chunks of bark afoot long. In the dead wood theychisel away with heavy and deliberateblows until they can wedgethe bill to pry off a slab. When aslab of bark or wood is pried offexposed insects or larvae, licks upthe pileated examines the spot forwhat is to be had, and once moresets to work. In a rich-paying sectionof wood a pileated will oft]gig a cavity three inches deep anda foot long. Everything that apileated woodpecker does is doneon a large scale . He may be knownby the size of the chips he leavesunder the tree, or he may be knownby the sound of his heavy hammering. And his drumming roll-eall ishere in the Valley had a patrol thatled from Mirror Lake to the bearpits; the round-trip distance is atleast eight miles. They would arrive at our camp before 9 in themorning. First they would visitthe great yellow pine with deadspike crown, and then the" woulddrop down into 'our cottonwoodgrove where they would whackabout for 15 or 20 minutes. Nextthey would probably visit the cottonwoodgrove below the village, ahalf-mile away. In this fashion onthey would go working their waydown the valley . Late in the after,noon we would hear their farshoutedcall notes, and looking upwe would see them winging theirhoriewerd way After t'r''~1