It is quite a year for Lewis woodpeckers in the east bay. In the last two weeks, I have been searching for Lewis woodpeckers and am batting 3 out of 4 for finding them in “new locations” where I have thought they might be (and where they have not been recorded previously on ebird). Other observers are also finding them in “new” locations.Thinking about their habitat requirements - foothills next to grasslands with widely spaced valley oaks (they do not like live oaks or blue oaks in the east bay) - I can think of at least 10 more locations in the east bay where they are possible or likely. In the next months I will be checking some of these areas but if anyones interested - think about their habitat - there are a lot more to find in the east bay.
How many are in the east bay this year - 100? 200? (previous years 25 or less?) Its quite a year for them! One of the more spectacular east bay visitors!
I wonder how much the SCU complex fire has to do with their movement to this area.
On Sunday, November 27, 2022, 05:15:26 PM PST, Jim Chiropolos <jnc@...> wrote:
It is quite a year for Lewis woodpeckers in the east bay. In the last two weeks, I have been searching for Lewis woodpeckers and am batting 3 out of 4 for finding them in “new locations” where I have thought they might be (and where they have not been recorded previously on ebird). Other observers are also finding them in “new” locations.Thinking about their habitat requirements - foothills next to grasslands with widely spaced valley oaks (they do not like live oaks or blue oaks in the east bay) - I can think of at least 10 more locations in the east bay where they are possible or likely. In the next months I will be checking some of these areas but if anyones interested - think about their habitat - there are a lot more to find in the east bay.
How many are in the east bay this year - 100? 200? (previous years 25 or less?) Its quite a year for them! One of the more spectacular east bay visitors!
Word on the street is that Sacramento County has a high number of LEWO as well. Yeah, maybe fires have changes the food availability so as to favor good recruitment among those woodpeckers. I know from good times past that Lewis's woodpeckers also favor tall ponderosa pine snags.
Some people have wondered if past fires are why there are so many Lewis Woodpeckers in the bay this year. I consider fires an unlikely reason as if you look at their traditional yearly wintering locations using ebird- the locations are central valley and not fire zones. I think it is more likely a food issue - more here or less at traditional wintering areas.