Yellow-belled Sapsucker

One of the great things about keeping a list of all the birds you see in your yard as we do, is that you are always on the lookout for new birds to add to your list. It gives you a heightened sensitivity and awareness of your environment. Yesterday we were getting out of the car in our yard in FL and a black and white bird flew through the trees and caught our eye. Lillian picked up the camera from the car and proceeded to try and follow it through the trees and take some photos.

It was a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Sapsuckers drill horizontal rows of holes in trees and then drink the sap. It was fascinating to see her stop and poke her bill into the rows of holes. She went to several different trees and it made us realize how many trees had holes in them that we hadn't noticed. If you live in the eastern part of the country you can look for these horizontal holes in your trees, a sign that sapsuckers have been there.

Sapsuckers are migratory woodpeckers. Some winter in Florida and the southern states. Most winter further south in Central America. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers breed in northern parts of the East and throughout much of Canada.

Daisy, our Corgi, patiently sat and watched Lillian.
Good Dog!

Photos © Lillian Stokes, 2006