Harvest Time

We have some special woodpeckers here on the West Coast (USA).  They live in small colonies and join forces to harvest and protect a winger's supply of acorns.  'Granary' trees can be used for many years, until they finally fall down and the woodpeckers find another suitable tree.

Now is the time of year when acorns are just losing their greenish cast and turning brown.  We sat and watched at least five birds for a couple of hours.  They kept flying off and grabbing acorns off living trees, then they'd bring it back to their granary tree and either stuff it in a pre-existing hole -- or one kept dropping acorns in the cavity left by a broken off branch.  Once we watched an acorn woodpecker dropping acorns down the top of an open pipe!  I'm sure he never got to eat those!

 I had time to take my sketch as far as getting it inked.  I added paint after I got home.