Berry Dining--Sapsucker Style

It was his soft mewy call that caught my attention, that distinctive low whine that sounds a bit like a cat's mew--the wintering call of a Yellow-bellied sapsucker.

Besides dining on sap and insects, these woodpeckers also happen to like holly berries. And since there is a holly within view of my window, its handy to look out from time to time to see whose come to dine.

Some of the sapsuckers that visit the yard have come down from the higher elevations in the nearby Smoky Mountains. Others have traveled to winter here from more northern breeding grounds. November to late March is the time of year we get to enjoy their visits in the lower elevations of the Tennessee Valley.

Watching this male forage on berries not only provided enjoyment, it raised many questions as well. Like, do birds actually loose their balance and misjudge their footing? Maybe that seems obvious, but it's not something we often see or consider. It certainly seemed to be the case with this sapsucker. In the image below you'll see one foot dangling while he appears to have caught himself with his chin. (Click the image to enlarge.)

But he recovered quickly and moved right on to pluck another berry.

And then eyed another one.

And as he plucks this berry, take a look at the image below. It appears he's holding one, maybe two, berries in his gullet while adding another one. Just how does that work? How long will he hold them there? And how many can he collect there at one time?

I don't know the answers, so if anyone one else happens to know or knows an expert who knows, or can recommend a resource, that would be great.

While browsing the subject of sapsucker dining, I did learn another new tidbit about their habits. Sapsuckers lap the sap from their excavated tree wells in much the same way as hummingbirds lap nectar from flowers or feeders. But unlike hummers, the Yellow-bellied sapsucker has hairs on his tongue that help facilitate the lapping of sap. To see an image of a sapsucker's tongue, click this link to Hilton Pond Center.

Above, is another image of the same sapsucker perched on the tree stump in front of the holly. Though Yellow-bellied sapsuckers can sometimes look drab because of their blended plumage, this backlit male was striking with his crimson throat and cap, the sharp contrast between black and white areas of plumage, and that golden glow on his belly

Besides being my first bird photographs for 2010, he earned the honor of becoming my first bird sketch of the new year, too. And I can say I am happy to hear their soft mewy calls mixed in with the other woodpecker calls in the area.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #72 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.