Nest Tending Nuttall's

5/10 Black Hill is the feature against which most of the community of Morro Bay is built upon. About two thirds of the hill is state land and undeveloped. This wild area hosts a great variety of resident species as well as many migrants. The north side of the hill is heavily vegetated with large pines and cypress which are full of cavities. Along this stretch were Pacific-slope and olive-sided flycatcher, red-shouldered hawk, house and Bewick’s wren, spotted and California towhee, orange-crowned warbler, wrentit, bushtit, western bluebird, purple and house finch and California thrasher to name a few. The old trees were a haven for downy, hairy and Nuttall’s woodpeckers. Here a male Nuttall’s tends to some of the feeding duties at the hole. The male and female regularly alternated in the foraging and feeding.