Sapsuckers

It probably should come as no surprise that one of my favorite groups of birds is the woodpeckers.  It may be because I’ve been known to beat my head against wooden structures. (Okay, not really).  It may be their elaborate dress.  It may be that they possess chisel like beaks capable of inflicting considerable damage.  It may be the diversity of feeding habits. 

And it is a particular fascination I have for sapsuckers.  It is their feeding style that generates their name.  We generally think about woodpeckers hammering away in search of insects.  However, sapsuckers drill holes or wells for sap and then feast on the fare that oozes.

Photograph by Bill Ravenscroft

Most of the time, I’m made aware of their presence in my neck of the woods by the drumming.  Even the newest field guide from NationalGeographic mentions this, stating that it sounds like Morse code.

Today, we recognize four species of sapsuckers.  They are the Williamson’s, the Red Naped, the Red Breasted and the Yellow Bellied (pictured here).  The last three were thought to be all one species under the banner of the Yellow Bellied.

The Yellow Bellied Sapsucker picture here is noteworthy, I believe, as it shows an individual molting from its immature plumage to its adult plumage.

A New Way of Seeing



 

A New Way of Seeing

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It's a Mystery

It's a mystery! Or should I say there is a lack of consensus about this one? Anyone care to venture a guess as to the identity of this bird? Your comments are most welcomed.

Fun for Peanuts

If you are looking for a way to extend the fun in your own backyard and you want to do it for peanuts, then I recommend getting a peanut feeder. 

When starting to feed the birds I always recommend using black oil sunflower seed or BOSS as it is known.  This is a highly nutritious food that attracts a variety of birds.  Feeding just one type of food in a particular feeder eliminates the considerable spillage and waste associated with mixes.

Downy Photographed by Roy Smallwood

Yet, if you would like to see a few more unusual species then you need to expand your feeders and feed.  Thus, get yourself a peanut feeder and fill it with cracked, shelled peanuts.  You’ll have the enjoyment of Downy Woodpeckers and Red Bellied Woodpeckers, but also Orange Crowned Warblers, Pine Siskins, perhaps Pine warblers, and more.

Merlins

‘Tis the season for hawks and other raptors.  This time of year, if we keep an eye out, we will often see many species of raptors not resident to our area.  Driving the highways one often is treated to displays and spectacles of hawks in good numbers and frequency.  One our trip this New Year’s Eve, I was surprised to see a pair of Red Tail Hawks side by side on the high light pole of I-35.

Photograph by Bryan Stone, copyrighted

One falcon that has become a favorite visitor for me is the Merlin.  It is slightly larger than a Kestrel.  We most frequently see the females or immatures.  They are mostly dull brown, streaked breast, lack a facial pattern of note, have broader wings than kestrels, and the long tail characteristic of falcons.  This species likes open woodlands and wooded prairies and grasslands. 

The Merlin hunts small birds and rodents.  It will also take insects.  Unlike the kestrel it does not hover-hunt.  It catches its prey with a burst of speed without diving.