'Drawing From Nature'

THE KIDS' READING ROOM

January 02, 2005|Carol Felixson, Special to The Times

Ah-ha-ha-HA-ha

Ha-ha-ha

Ha.

Do you recognize this famous call?

It's the sound of Woody Woodpecker!

Woody's creator, Walter Lantz, is said to have modeled him after the pileated (PILL-ee-ate-ed) woodpecker.

Jackson Crites, 6, of Los Angeles learned that the woodpecker most common to the Los Angeles region is not Woody's variety but the acorn woodpecker. He decided to do an illustration of a male acorn woodpecker busily pecking at a tree.

The young artist learned that these woodpeckers like to drill holes with their sharp beaks, producing the pecking sound that Woody made famous.

The shape of their feet and their sharp claws and stiff tail feathers allow the woodpeckers to easily hang on to tree limbs, fence posts and telephone poles. During the summer these medium-sized birds eat mostly insects. In the fall they drill holes, then fill them with acorns to get through the winter.

Jackson began by covering a table with newspapers and gathering his materials. First he drew the outline of the woodpecker with a pencil. After some experimentation, he found that the bird was too small to finger paint and still portray the details.

"I used very small brushes to paint the bird on one piece of paper and my fingers to paint the background on another," he said.

After the paint dried, Jackson's mom helped him cut out the bird. He then glued it onto the paper with the background. When he was all done Jackson washed his brushes, paint covered plate, and especially himself, with lots of soap and water!

Good job, Jackson!

To hear the call of the acorn woodpecker, go to birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Acorn_Wood pecker.html#sound.

About the series: Each month, Carol Felixson introduces children to a subject from nature and an art technique. She is director of education and community outreach for UCLA's Stunt Ranch Reserve and Mathias Botanical Garden. Feb. 6 lesson: Dusky-footed wood rat and modeling clay. Projects can be seen at nrs9.ucop.edu/reserves/stunt/newsforkids.html.