Yellow-bellied

I was standing at the Secondary Black Bear Overlook. A whiny, scratchy, mew sound was coming from the shrubs just inside the chain-link fence and to the left. I knew from the sound that it was a yellow-bellied sapsucker, but I couldn’t see the bird. The woodpecker was making quite a bit of noise, but where was it.

Finally, I could see the fresh wells drilled by the bird. The wells were on the main trunk of a viburnum which was on the back side of another shrub. The bird was very enthusiastic about its work, vocalizing loudly as it drilled. I wanted to get a photo.

I managed three or four shots before the bird got wise to my spying and took off. Here they are, shot through the chain-link, through the first shrub and part of the viburnum.

 

Evenly spaced, rectangular wells drill into the trunk of a viburnum inside the Black Bear Enclosure.
Evenly spaced, rectangular wells drilled into the trunk of a viburnum inside the Black Bear Enclosure.

 

A male yellow-bellied sapsucker at work.
A male yellow-bellied sapsucker at work.

 

Note the white, longitudinal stripe on the wing on the woodpecker.
Note the white, longitudinal stripe on the wing on the woodpecker.

 

This sapsucker will make frequent stops at this shrub to check on the sap flow, especially after this current freeze. Once it warms again, even slightly, there may be sap flowing, the wells will fill and this and other birds will be drawn to the wells for both the sap and any insects that may be awakened by the thaw. So, if you’re at the Secondary Black Bear Overlook in the near future, keep an ear and eye opened, you may get a sneak peek into the life of a woodpecker.

 

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