Banded Woodpecker, Flameback and the Californian Dream

Banded Woodpecker - a pair was seen pecking on the trunks of a tree within the National Archives Centre, Kuala Lumpur. It is a dream of mine to go on a trip looking for woodpeckers in California and to order and eat from a KOGI Food Truck which you can read about HERE. Pioneered by Roy Choi who had worked with Jon Favreau on the movie "CHEF." Both of them went on a culinary adventure via the CHEF food series on Netflix. The episode on San Francisco Bay area where they looked for oysters that were sustainably being harvested in the Bay area was fascinating. The Hog Island Oyster Co's website which you can check out HERE where six different oyster varieties including the Eastern Pacific oyster originating from the Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan (the Hog Island Kumamoto), and the Manila Clams are featured. The Oyster's Journey with the process neatly summarized from seed to nursery, their grow out, the tipping & flipping (which was demonstrated by both Roy & Jon using baseball bats),  harvesting, and live wet storage (large aquarium environment according to the website). There's a Shucking 101 video by Chef Jamie on the Hog Island Oyster Co website as well. Seeing the oysters being eaten reminded me of the cautionary tale of the young and foolish Oysters who left the oyster bed and ended up in the tummies of the Walrus and the Carpenter in the Lewis Carroll classic poem (reproduced in full below):-

"The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright —

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun

Had got no business to be there

After the day was done —

"It's very rude of him," she said,

"To come and spoil the fun."

The sea was wet as wet could be,

The sands were dry as dry.

You could not see a cloud, because

No cloud was in the sky:

No birds were flying overhead —

There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Were walking close at hand;

They wept like anything to see

Such quantities of sand:

If this were only cleared away,'

They said, it would be grand!'

If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose,' the Walrus said,

That they could get it clear?'

I doubt it,' said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.

'O Oysters, come and walk with us!'

The Walrus did beseech.

A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,

Along the briny beach:

'We cannot do with more than four,

To give a hand to each.'

The eldest Oyster looked at him,

But never a word he said:

The eldest Oyster winked his eye,

And shook his heavy head —

Meaning to say he did not choose

To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,

All eager for the treat:

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,

Their shoes were clean and neat —

And this was odd, because, you know,

They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,

And yet another four;

And thick and fast they came at last,

And more, and more, and more —

All hopping through the frothy waves,

And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Walked on a mile or so,

And then they rested on a rock

Conveniently low:

And all the little Oysters stood

And waited in a row.

'The time has come,' the Walrus said,

To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

Of cabbages — and kings —

And why the sea is boiling hot —

And whether pigs have wings.'

'But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried,

Before we have our chat;

For some of us are out of breath,

And all of us are fat!'

No hurry!' said the Carpenter.

They thanked him much for that.

A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said,

Is what we chiefly need:

Pepper and vinegar besides

Are very good indeed —

Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,

We can begin to feed.'

But not on us!' the Oysters cried,

Turning a little blue.

After such kindness, that would be

A dismal thing to do!'

The night is fine,' the Walrus said.

Do you admire the view?

It was so kind of you to come!

And you are very nice!'

The Carpenter said nothing but

Cut us another slice:

I wish you were not quite so deaf —

I've had to ask you twice!'

It seems a shame,' the Walrus said,

To play them such a trick,

After we've brought them out so far,

And made them trot so quick!'

The Carpenter said nothing but

The butter's spread too thick!'

I weep for you,' the Walrus said:

I deeply sympathize.'

With sobs and tears he sorted out

Those of the largest size,

Holding his pocket-handkerchief

Before his streaming eyes.

O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,

You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?'

But answer came there none —

And this was scarcely odd, because

They'd eaten every one."

Fourteen (14) different species of woodpeckers in California, with pictures, sound and some videos published on this website by Bird Advisors HERE. Another website mentioned there are fifteen (15) different species of woodpeckers in California with videos, audio and highlighting differences between male and female species which you can read, see and hear HERE. Sapsucker and Flicker are such unique names for these woodies in California. Brace yourself for one of the woodies named Gila Woodpecker and the last, a Californian native called the Nuttall's Woodpecker found only in oak woodlands and among the oak trees in suburban areas according to Birdwatching HQ. I like their tip which is to stay still when one hears the rattling (calls) of the Nuttall Woodpecker, which means an observer has a chance to spot them in action probing for juicy protein-rich (insect) snacks in the tree trunks:) Whilst I continue to work in meeting this Californian dream of mine, amidst my current obligations at work, to my studies and to my family, I present below our Common Flameback (formerly known as the Goldenback) species - a female which lacks the red colours on its crest. Only the male Common Flameback has this distinctive red crest. A pleasure to have spotted a pair at the KL Lake Gardens (Perdana Botanical Gardens) sometime back in September 2018 which you can read about HERE. I end my blog with a picture of trees standing tall in the Peace Hills (Bukit Aman) area of Kuala Lumpur post-meeting with the law enforcement authority at a government building hidden somewhere within the same vicinity as the Perdana Botanical Gardens.