Yellow-bellied sapsucker
We've been wanting to see a yellow-bellied sapsucker for awhile. Their evidence is everywhere, in the evenly drilled holes in the bark of sweetgums, maples, and other preferred trees. Sapsuckers are winter residents here, moving north in spring.This morning, we caught sight of a woodpecker moving up the trunk of a Bradford pear. A largish bird, my gardening companion could tell that it was a bird he hadn't seen before (through his binoculars). I was fortunate enough to get a couple of reasonably clear shots, which confirmed its identity: a male yellow-bellied sapsucker!
I've been on a quest recently to find one of these woodpeckers myself. They winter here in VA as well. Hopefully I'll see one before the head back north this spring. Congrats on the find!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got some shots- thanks for sharing them. I love taking photos of our birds. I don't believe I've seen this guy, but we do have the some Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. There are some sapsuckers in my area that are year-round, I've not seen them in my yard, however. Would love to get some shots of them.
ReplyDeleteLKW- I must have had a momentary trip to the Bahamas..sorry for the mix up on your initials. Thanks for visiting my site. I like the yellow-bellied sap suckers..they are just a little larger than the downy woodpeckers. Really catch your eye.
ReplyDeleteJanet