The red headed woodpeckers have taken charge of Toro Park!

They celebrate this sunny Christmas Eve afternoon,
flitting from branch to branch,
interrupting their neighbors with boisterous calls.

The trunks of the sturdy sycamores are studded with an immense cache of acorns,
 carefully packed by the industrious woodpeckers.

Gradually the acorn mosaic covering the trees, will become depleted during the winter.
Empty cubby holes will become exposed, only to be refilled again next autumn.

The offshore flow caresses us with California warmth,
as the last of the fall leaves drift down from the tree tops.   
Now the woodpeckers’ homes are exposed in the uppermost branches.

Woodpecker couples work in unison,
tirelessly flying in and out of the homes they created to raise their young.

The lone red tailed hawk calls out and watches over all.

 



An excerpt from “Where the Red Tailed Hawk Flies: Seasons”
Copyright © 2010 by Gabriella Graham/Red Tailed Hawk Publishing/
All rights reserved.12.24.10