![\"red-naped](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/red-naped-sapsucker-2658-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOn each\u00a0our Montana trips we\u00a0try to explore some new country.\u00a0 We found this Red-naped Sapsucker and its mate\u00a0at\u00a0their nest-hole\u00a0on July 1\u00a0near a small lake at the end of a long dirt road.\u00a0 It was midday when we\u00a0found them so the light was a bit harsh and contrasty but because of all the trees and high hills in the area\u00a0I don’t believe there would be any light at all on the nest-tree in the mornings or evenings.<\/p>\n
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\u00a01\/3200, f\/5, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Like its cousins the Williamson’s Sapsuckers that I photographed on the same trip this bird was feeding ants to its youngsters in the nest.\u00a0 The lighting on the bird in this image may not appeal to everyone but I thought it was interesting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/1000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The light through the leaves was splotchy so the backgrounds always seemed to be very dark or quite bright.\u00a0 I like the perky pose from this adult.<\/p>\n For much of the year these woodpeckers feed primarily at elaborate systems of sap wells that they make and diligently maintain\u00a0but during nesting season they turn to ants.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0These birds are incredibly hard workers when it comes to feeding their young.\u00a0 Both parents are involved in feeding the 4-7 youngsters in the nest and between them they make feeding visits as often as every 2 minutes all day long, from dawn to dusk.\u00a0 They often dip the ants in sap before feeding them to their young and in this image you can see ants in the bill and a drop of sap dripping from the lower mandible.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On each our Montana trips we try to explore some new country. We found this Red-naped Sapsucker and its mate at their nest-hole on July 1 near a small lake at the end of a long dirt road.<\/p>\n![\"red-naped](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/red-naped-sapsucker-2544-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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