SAPSUCKER!

Just last month, Nathan Swick (Reservations and Memberships) walked away with the RCKI Award for spotting the first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the season here at the Museum. Well, Nathan’s done it again. This time it’s the coveted Sapsucker Award for seeing the first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the season (10/8/10). Congrats Nathan!

ybsapsucker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (photo from 3/19/10).

Nathan and I, along with Insectarium Manager, Leon Bradford, were standing near the trail-head of the Dinosaur Trail talking about the paucity of migrant birds here at the Museum on that particular day when Nathan looked up over my head, brought his binoculars to his eyes (at this point I knew something was going to happen) and exclaimed, “Sapsucker!”

I turned to look. I didn’t spot it at first, but there, way up in an oak tree was a very nice, neat and trim, male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker working its way up the tree trunk.

Last year, I first saw one of these migrant, medium-sized woodpeckers here at the Museum on October 11, but this sighting beats that by three days. There should be more to follow.

Listen to a sapsucker here (scroll down and click the audio button).

Keep your eyes and ears open!

5 responses to SAPSUCKER!

  1. Nathan says:

    Alright, alright, I’ll accept this “satisfaction” this time. But a plaque might encourage me to find them next year.

    Ah, who am I kidding. I’ll still let you know.

  2. Nathan says:

    Erin’s got the right idea. I expect a plaque. Something befitting the accomplishment of seeing two birds before anyone else. Maybe with glued on sunflower seeds or bejeweled with bird poop.

    • Greg Dodge, Ranger says:

      As I was explaining to someone the other day, the prize for seeing these two first-of-the-season, truly winter birds, R-c Kinglet and Y-b Sapsucker, is the singular satisfaction one feels (should feel) from doing the best that one can do in an endeavor, whatever that endeavor may be. And of course, most rewarding of all, having your name displayed with pride here in this blog!
      By the way, I saw the first Golden-crowned Kinglet today (10/9/10), several of them.

  3. Erin Brown says:

    Awesome! I think I remember you pointing the Sapsuckers out to me last year. Just to clarify — the RCKI and Sapsucker awards are internal awards, yes? There’s no Bird Sighting Association that will send Nathan a plaque? (If not. I think you should make him one)

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