yellow bellied sapsucker

I have some of these woodpeckers that seem to be setting up housekeeping nearby. Both males and females are in the yard daily. And of course I can't ignore them with the camera.

He's slightly agitated, another male was on the same small tree and they weren't getting along very well.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker taking a bath. Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe this is the first time I've ever seen a woodpecker take a bath. They and the other woody species here drink from the pan often, but never bathe in it, till yesterday. This is the only shot I got, here it's looking up to plan...

Have two youngster in the yard at the moment. I believe a male and female.

Taken in mid June. This scared me to death. I thought this poor bird had hit one of our windows. It took me a few moments to realize she was just sun bathing. She looked very worn out and bedraggled from caring for young, so she deserved a few minutes to herself.

A fresh out of the nest YBS. I've been watching the adults taking peanut butter somewhere for an unusually long time. I'm not sure whether it takes longer to grow these birds, or if they lost a brood and started over again.

Yellow bellied Sapsucker female. Gaunt, dirty, disheveled, worn out, and still she is working hard to feed her brood.

I spread peanut butter on the trunks of this small maple. The bark is smooth and birds like starlings and Blue Jays can't cling to it and cobble at their leisure. However woodpeckers can. The Starlings and Jays have to hover for a bite, so you often end up seeing a scene like this.

The more I look at these woodpeckers, the more I think they are a really beautiful bird.

This pretty female Yellow Bellied Sapsucker is having a good sunbathing. She is the female half of a mating pair that seems to be setting up housekeeping nearby, as they are in our yard daily. I know for a fact they are a mating pair as I actually saw them...um...you know....mating. lol Didn't...

I was so intent on getting a shot of this bird that it wasn't until I looked at the photos later that I realized it was a female. So I have a male and a female Sapsucker in the yard. Maybe they'll make babies here!

Had a pair of these woodies flittering around the yard yesterday.

Whether a female or male I can't say, don't know enough about these birds.

Been posting quite a few photos of this guy, but when this handsome Yellow Bellied Sapsucker poses, he's impossible not to take a photo of!

One doesn't often get a view like this of a YBS. They're usually plastered, woodpecker style, belly first against a tree trunk.

This guy has taken over the yard when he comes. He regularly chases everything from chickadees and nuthatches right up to large Hairy Woodpeckers off the feeders. Even seen him take a run at a few starlings. Very aggresive fellow.

First one I've seen this spring. This guy showed absolutely no fear of me, often coming quite close. But was so intent on looking for something to eat that he wouldn't hold still and it was tough to get a good shot of him. Got a good view of his chin in this one though.

Every now and then I look out onto the back deck to find this young sapsucker sitting on the handrail. Seems to be one of it's favorite spots. It'll sit there for long periods of time sunning itself, or just be looking around. Maybe it's waiting to be offered a cold lemonade. lol Taken through...

I watched a sapsucker soar over to a power pole and land on the top crossbeam. It gave a sudden loud long wailing call, "URRRRROOOWWW" then with no preliminaries at all, it suddenly collapsed, motionless on the crossbeam, only it's wing and part of its tail showing from my vantage...

I always thought these were very shy, retiring birds that were hard to get a good look at. Not this year. They must be used to me now, they don't seem too bothered by me wandering around outside. Yesterday I walked out my back door to find one of these birds sunning itself on the handrail of the...

You'll have to forgive the photo quality (as usual!) It was an extremely damp and dull day, the light was terrible, and this was a photo I had to sneak of this very shy bird through a narrow slit of clear space on a fogged up double paned window. I post it because I find it interesting. This is...

I was standing on my back deck this morning when this sapsucker (a female, I think) landed in a tree right in front of me. I thought it was just another hairy woodpecker, but then did a double take when I saw the white wing bar.The first of this bird I have ever seen!! Before I could do...

Yellow bellied sapsucker. This guy didn't seem to mind my company much, and stayed in the same tree for at least 20 minutes before he flew away.

I was trying to get a photo of a Golden Crowned Kinglet, when two of these guys showed up. Managed the Sapsucker shot but did not get the Kinglet, ha.