Some animals come and go through the seasons, but acorn woodpeckers dwell year-round in the park, in part because of their diligent preparations. Ranger Kate, no stranger to the bird’s “waka-waka” call, drew one up for us. For those of you #ParkedAtHome, you can draw one yourself through her process or at least follow along to learn something more about these playfully industrious creatures. Step 1: Draw an oval for an acorn and the rough bark of a tree. True to their name, these woodpeckers busy themselves with acorns no matter the time of year. Step 2: Space the beak and head carefully gripping the acorn. During the summer and fall, they stash this crucial food into holes of their own making in the bark of various trees, so that come winter, they have a food supply to last. While they prepare this stockpile in the warmer months, though, they show enough foresight to feed other foods like insects instead. Step 3: Shade in the banding of the bird’s head. Black beak, then white, then black, then red (err... gray, when done without color, that white would be a bit yellowish, too). We know this one is female since a black band separates the white face from the red crown. Step 4: Outline the body. Acorn woodpeckers will rock their bodies in a seesaw-like motion to propel them up a tree’s bark. Step 5: Color the body. Black on the throat and wings, but white on the breast and belly. You can represent the flecks of black on the white belly with simple streaks. Not visible are the bold white patches on the top of the wings that are hidden when folded. Step 6: Draw the feet. As a woodpecker, these birds are better adapted to vertical perching. Find one on a flat, horizontal surface and it may seem a bit uncomfortable. Step 7: Shade in that tree. One or more acorn woodpeckers will repeatedly use a singular tree that we aptly call a “granary tree.” Granary trees can easily contain thousands of holes accumulated over generations of these hard-working birds. And... we’re done! Feel free to share your finished drawing in the comments below, or perhaps gift it to a loved one this season. #yosemitenps #yosemite