[Leica] IMG: Williamson's Sapsucker

[Doug Herr]

definitely a tight fit but yes both adults squeezed through that little opening several times.

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


> On Jun 12, 2020, at 7:37 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> wrote:
> 
> 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
> 
> 
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