[Leica] IMG: Williamson's Sapsucker

[Doug Herr]

The Williamson’s Sapsucker is a woodpecker of the mountains of western North America.  Living in remote forests, it can be difficult to find reliably but one particular grove of aspens in a mixed conifer/aspen zone above 6300’ elevation has been my go-to spot for at least a decade.

The grove is several miles from the nearest paved road but fortunately the gravel road is in good enough condition for ordinary vehicles w/o high clearance or 4WD.  This is where I found myself one day this week.

My plan was to find a nest site, set up a blind nearby to allow for adequate lighting and decent backgrounds, and wait.  Having visited the grove the week before I knew the birds were in the area so I began the day by looking for likely nest trees: a large dead aspen with several older nest cavities seemed a likely prospect, and the scattered wood chips at the base of the tree suggested recent excavation.  I then set up the blind nearby and waited.

No more than 5 minutes passed before one of the adults flew to the tree with a bill full of bugs.  Refining my blind’s position for photos and waiting several hours resulted in numerous photos, two of which are here:

male Williamson’s Sapsucker

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/thyroideus/sphthy11.html <http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/thyroideus/sphthy11.html>

female Williamson’s Sapsucker

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/thyroideus/sphthy10.html <http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/thyroideus/sphthy10.html>

This species is unusual among woodpeckers for its plumage differences between the sexes.  When european-americans first encountered this bird they believed the male and the female were separate species because of the striking difference.

As usual, all comments are welcome.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sierra County
http://www.wildlightphoto <http://www.wildlightphoto/>.com