williamson’s sapsucker – Page 2 – Feathered Photography

Some Williamson’s Sapsucker Behavior

In early July I photographed a mated pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers in Clark County, Idaho. As usual I was fascinated by their behaviors.

Female Sapsucker – A Miscalculation At The Nest-hole

Sapsuckers must be nimble fliers to negotiate access to their nest-hole several hundred times per day during the nesting season – especially if the tree their nest is in leans toward the hole. Usually it’s no problem for them but one time I did photograph the female as she stumbled.

Sapsuckers Cleaning Out The Nest Hole

The 5″ x 8″ (interior dimensions) tree nest hole of the Williamson’s Sapsucker with as many as 6 growing nestlings inside presents a significant potential hygiene problem. This post is about how the adults dealt with that situation as I was photographing them about three weeks near the Montana/Idaho border.

The Sapsucker And The Ant

Sometimes the presence of a tiny, almost miniscule arthropod can make or break a bird photograph.

Williamson’s Sapsuckers – The Mated Pair

We were very lucky to find the nesting pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers in Clark County, Idaho early this summer. For starters, they’re “uncommon” and not often seen. Birders and researchers typically locate most birds by their calls but this sapsucker species is “generally quiet” and doesn’t spontaneously advertise their territories that time of year so passive listening tends to be ineffective in locating them. For this and other reasons Williamson’s Sapsuckers are poorly sampled and studied and there is little data on their numbers.