The male ACORN WOODPECKER was hanging out in the oak trees down by the War Memorial below the barracks. This is west and south of the gazebo and lawn area at McClellan Rd & Ft Vancouver Way. A nice birder directed us there and we found it right away. Many Scrub Jays and Flickers worked the trees too along with smaller passerines.

We did not see a second one but spent about 2 hours watching it while talking to a couple of people at times. It was fun to just watch. I left my camera home. I think he may have been caching nuts in the moss on top the branches ??? At one point he took an acorn from a Scrub Jay on a parking-log barrier [next to the building south of the trees] and proceeded to pound it down into one of the man-made holes. I took a photo of it (via phone) and it was pretty smashed from being half eaten by the jay. So he is caching.

A WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH was also seen in the oak trees.

Sherry Hagen
Vancouver, WA
littlebirder at comcast.net