Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Oh man, here we go again, another Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) looking like bark! This individual is surrounded by wells that it and others of its species have drilled, one of many such trees in an orchard in a town park. This wintering area is obviously a productive spot and when you can look like a tree all day long, even if you’re an occasionally louder than usual tree, no one is going to bother you.
Read MoreBark or Bird?
What do you see here? If the scene were in the darker shade that it was in real life, without this edited photo, you might simply see a tree. I never realized how much juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius) look like bark! I suppose that helps to give them a little privacy when they are drilling into it while feeding and in a stationary, somewhat vulnerable position for a prolonged period of time. In this case this migrant bird was moving around looking for something a little more suitable at a stopover site. Have you found a Sapsucker in your yard this month? So many birds...
Read MoreWoodpeckers of Newfoundland
Here’s a Throwback Thursday of a different sort – five woodpeckers from the Birds of Newfoundland by Roger Tory Peterson. Can you identify them all? Clockwise from the top we have the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Black-backed Woodpecker. If you are fortunate enough to have a yard where you can see them all that would be extremely impressive!
Read MoreYellow-bellied Sapsucker Wells
This Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) seems to have been fleeing the scene of the crime! Winter is a good time to walk around and keep your eyes open for signs of birds and other wildlife, like these tightly-packed wells skillfully drilled by the hundreds through the bark of trees – a Sapsucker signature. It seems like there have been more reports of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers visiting feeders than usual this winter, though I admit I do not have data to support that gut feeling. Have you had any at home? Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
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