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1\/4000, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n This female Williamson’s Sapsucker and her mate were raising chicks in their nest cavity in this aspen tree. While delivering food, usually it was ants, to the chicks they nearly always followed the same routine. They would land on the side of the tree a little less than 2′ below the cavity entrance, pause there for a few moments, and then\u00a0fly straight up the trunk\u00a0to the entrance as she’s doing here. In this shot she had just barely hooked her claws over the entrance hole and her wings are still out (yes, I do wish I hadn’t clipped her left wing!). Both parents usually followed the same routine when delivering food to the youngsters.<\/p>\n Notice that she has a beak-full of ants for her chicks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in When they would leave the cavity in search of more ants they came out\u00a0as if\u00a0they were shot from a gun. When trying to photograph them leaving they were so fast\u00a0I got more “air shots” than I care to think about and I think I have pretty quick reflexes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n More often than not one parent was already in the cavity when the second adult arrived. They would sometimes spend quite a while in there, chipping away at the cavity to make it larger as the chicks grew (I could hear them hammering away), or cleaning up wood chips or fecal sacs to take out when they left. If one parent arrived with food while the other one was still inside one of them had to vamoose because there wasn’t sufficient room in there for 2 adults and the chicks. As you\u00a0can see she has a huge load of ants to deliver.<\/p>\n The exchange of places was tricky. And I’m convinced, even a little hazardous.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/5000, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n The adult on the outside of the hole nearly always leaned\u00a0far to one side or the other to make room for the other exiting parent. That lean was essential considering the explosive speed and expanding wings of the exiting bird. A bird leaving that fast and opening its wings at the same time demanded consideration for the uncomfortable and possibly even dangerous collision that could occur.<\/p>\n But twice I photographed the male trying a different tack and he almost paid the price.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Instead of leaning far to one side he tried ducking down to avoid that speeding bullet and it almost didn’t go well. Given the position of his head and beak in this shot I can’t imagine that her belly didn’t at least graze him as she went by and maybe even\u00a0worse than that\u00a0(yup, more clipped wings).<\/p>\n If you ask me that’s cutting it way too close.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Exchanging places in the nest cavity can be a dicey endeavor for either parent.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/williamsons-sapsucker-2623-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"williamsons-sapsucker-2623-ron-dudley\\"")
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