[Leica] IMG: Williamson's Sapsucker

[Jim Nichols]

Nice work, Doug.  Looking at the male, and the opening in the tree, I 
ask myself, "Can that bird pass through that nest hole?"

What say you?

On 6/12/20 9:25 PM, Doug Herr via LUG wrote:
> 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
>
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-- 
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA