Last week while photographing Tree Swallows and House Wrens at their nesting aspen trees an unexpected visitor showed up – the Yellow Warbler I posted yesterday. After I published that post I headed for the Uinta Mountains again to try my luck with the same swallows and wrens but the highlight of the morning was a male Red-naped Sapsucker who showed up at the same clump of aspens.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Usually this species is quite shy but he had only one thing on his mind and that was food so he came in very close as he foraged. Too close, actually – many of my shots of him were too tight and I clipped body parts often. I’d previously removed my teleconverter while attempting to get takeoff and flight shots of the swallows and wrens and that was a good thing, otherwise I’d never have been able to fit all of him in the frame.
As is often the case with this species his food of choice was ants. Here we can see an ant in his bill that he had just plucked off of the vertical branch in front of him.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
He worked hard at his foraging, digging around in all the aspen catkins and picking ants off of the bark.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
To get at them he would sometimes hang upside down. I got a half-dozen shots of him in this position and didn’t get a catch light in his eye in any of them which disappointed me of course but I still like the documented behavior.
1/800, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Here he was holding on for dear life while he rooted around in the clump of catkins for more ants. Normally I’d never post a photo where the bill of the bird is completely hidden but given the behavior and his precarious position I think that missing bill is part of the charm of the image.
Getting this shot was a challenge. When he landed here his weight on the springy branch supporting the catkins caused him to bounce up and down and in and out of the frame so severely that I had difficulty getting him sharp and not clipping any body parts. As he bounced through the frame I had to time each shot as best I could and hope I’d get a few where he was sharp, no body parts were cut off and I had light in the eye. This photo was the best of the bunch.
These photos aren’t classically great shots because there are shadows on the bird, depth of field issues (because I was so close), cluttered settings, no catch light in one of them and a missing bill. But I was thrilled by the serendipitous visit from the sapsucker and I thought my viewers might enjoy seeing some of his acrobatic feeding behaviors.
Ron
Ron – just back from granddaughter’s HS graduation in San Clemente. These are gorgeous photos of one of my favorite and most colorful birds. Trying hard not to be envious, but it is hard 🙂
Everett Sanborn
Prescott AZ
Very acrobatic guy!
Yup.
I suspect that all of us who visit you on a regular basiss are fascinated by behaviours. And so very grateful that you share them.
As someone who blows up like a balloon after ants fang her (and can itch for weeks) I am a huge fan of anteaters whatever shape they come in. And this one’s shape is beautiful. And he is industrious as well. What a winner.
EC, Mia reacts in a similar way to gnat bites. It’s funny (or not so much) how that happens to some people. Thank you.
Years ago and shortly after acquiring my first DSLR camera and a decent telephoto lens my initial epiphany was the high level of complex behavioral details of wild birds the technology afforded. I took hundreds of images of common birds in my yard just doing all the little easily overlooked and high speed things birds do. Somehow a lot of the details had escaped my attention before I had the newer photo technology in my hands. Of course that was always possible with film cameras too but at a much higher investment of time and expense. So I had to ask myself: Is this Just another example of immediate gratification or something more? What has kept me attracted to your work are your images like these…ones of other living beings going about their day to day tasks in minute detail: the complex postures, the economies of motion…plus the inevitable awkward moments. It would be impossible for me to find fault with any of these shots. Unless it would be that there are too few!
Very well said and shared, James
Both you and James are taking the words from my mouth (except that I am a happy snapper rather than a photographer.
You obviously “get it”, James. The things you mention are some of the primary reasons I do what I do. Your comment meant a lot to me. Thank you!
Great shots, Ron, beautiful! Man we could use a sapsucker around our hummingbird feeders, the ants have been numerous and aggressive! I’m trying olive oil on the pole to see if that will help.
I wish you luck with your ants, Dick. They can be a nuisance in that situation. Wasps too…
Love the pictures. I have never seen this bird in nature. Thanks again for your great work.
I’m glad you like them, Betty. Thanks.
Fantastic series Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Serendipity always works for me! And it’s one of those things that needs to be celebrated, nit picking aside 😉 Again, what a gloriously beautiful series (ignoring your nits!)! I know a bunch of race drivers who would tell you they’d rather be lucky than good any day of the week–but admittedly, they’re a ne’er do well bunch of folks!
This beauty would be welcome at my place. Although I don’t have any trees (yet–working on that), I’ve got plenty of ants! They’re keeping all the lizards happy, so that’s good, but there are plenty of leftovers!
FYI, still having to fill in my name/email and still not getting notifications to follow your blog.
I wish I knew the formala for making serendipity occur more often! Thanks, Laura.
Seeing a Red-naped Sapsucker again made me smile. I have very fond memories of seeing a couple of them at our park several winters ago. They have a seemingly definite fondness for hanging upside down on very skinny branches. Now I’m hoping to have more encounters with them next winter.
I have similar fond memories of them, Susan – mostly from my experiences with them on my camping trips to Montana and Idaho.
Luv it! 🙂 He really did the gymnastics to find the ants! 🙂 Must be some sap on the catkins to attract the ants. The Northern Flickers are the “ant birds” here – holes in the mounds and grass.
“Must be some sap on the catkins to attract the ants”
I think you’re probably right, Judy – sap or some kind of plant juices…
Love the picture set, Ron. I really like it when you post behavior demonstrating shots even though they are not up to your usual grade of photography. Behavior is also my interest. Along those lines I just started the new online bird behavior course at Cornell. It is called Think Like a Bird: Understanding Bird Behavior by Dr. Kevin McGowan at the Bird Academy at Cornell Labs. I recommend it and any of their courses heartily and this instructor especially. I only plug it here because I know you are a strong advocate for this organization’s work. Between BoNA, the Macaulay song library and the Academy I spend a lot of time at Cornell just like I do at Feathered Photography!
Thank you, Art.
I’m curious – does that course include a textbook? Many of Cornell’s courses do and it’s often their own excellent book “The Handbook of Bird Biology”. I ask because there’s two of my own images in that book. I have a copy of it sitting right in front of me.
It does not, per se, Ron. I am sure it will be referenced substantially as it is many of their courses. I would put up a link to the course and to the book if I could here and suggest you add the two for me. I can PM you the links since I can’t add them in here I don’t think. This university and their courses/books deserved to get plugged. I am not associated with them and am partly hooked up with them due to your encouragement.
I have not had any required or included textbooks for the few online courses I have paid them for but they do have suggested books. I aspire, when I retire, to move to NY and live out of my RV to take a course or three in person.
That is a fantastic book and is on my living room table as a constant reference as well. I am really thrilled they use two of your pictures – they should use many more!
These are the links Art referred to. Thanks for sending them to me, Art:
The Cornell Lab Bird Academy – Highly Recommended
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/
The course: Think Like a Bird: Understanding Bird Behavior – Recommended
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/courses/think-like-a-bird-understanding-bird-behavior/
The textbook (for just about everything) Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd ed. – Very Highly Recommended
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/textbook/
No catch lights, no problem. What a fun series of beautiful images and great behaviors on display. My favorite is probably that third shot where it feels like he’s leaning right into me!
Great stuff Ron, thousand thanks for doing what you do.
And a thousand thanks for saying so, Dave.
Really neat photos…love that final picture! Once again the catkins give a very nice touch. He is very similar to our Yellow Bellied Sapsucker minus the red nape spot. I agree with the shyness; they run from the paparazzi. Can I assume this species makes the neatly lined drilled holes in the trunks? The cleverness…sap to sip and attract the insects for a follow-up meal! I had the pleasure of watching a pair of Yellow Bellied last year through the mating process, nesting building and rearing…delightful! 🙂
Thanks, Kathy. Yes, they’re one of the species that drills those holes. Not only do they consume the sap but they also eat the insects that become trapped in that sticky stuff.
I hope this tree is faaaaar away from sny campground!!!
It is, Patty. But there are dispersed camping areas nearby.
Sorry to hear that…don’t like hearing that the aluminum foil, portable TV, hatchet-besring boobs might find it…
Very nice, I love the third picture of the red naped sapsucker where it opens up a new perspective and angle. The bird is perfectly in focus and again, the superb behavior is being displayed. Truly well done! You are a phenomenal photographer!
Thanks for the very kind words, Daniel. I’m a huge fan of behaviors so I’m glad that at least some of my viewers enjoy them too.