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.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Woodpeckers are among my favorite birds, though I begin to wonder if every bird I encounter doesn't eventually fit into that category. The more I observe, photograph, sketch and read about each species, the more I appreciate their unique characteristics and behaviors, no matter how common or uncommon.
The yellow-bellied sapsucker is common in Tennessee during wintering months which for this bird spans September through May. This female visited me on our sunny and warm Thanksgiving day. Above, you can see her relative size, about 9", compared to the pine trunk she's feeding on. Males have a red throat patch while the females' throats are white.

She landed fairly close to me without a sound and immediately began her work, steadily pecking, so that my presence seemed of little concern. From the looks of the multiple lines of holes on the trunk of this tree, it must be a favorite. Sapsuckers are known to select trees that are diseased or damaged and this is a white pine. There are few pines in TN that aren't currently weakened by southern pine beetles due to previous years of drought followed by a season of ice storms and milder temperatures. These conditions stressed the trees and allowed the pine beetle populations to increase, causing a loss of many trees. Fortunately, this is a cycle that is expected to balance itself at some point.According to a Smithsonian report, the sapsucker's selective feeding has a nutritional bases. The sap of trees that are in poor health has a higher content of amino acids and protein.

The same report also gave some interesting information about the interdependence of other species on sapsucker activity. Among those who benefit from the excavation of sap, the Ruby-throated and rufous hummingbirds that breed in Canada may time their return to nesting grounds with peak sapsucker activity. When nectar plants are scarce, tree sap makes a suitable nectar substitute with comparable levels of sugar and nutrients.

A striking bird with her golden tint, black markings and red cap, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is considered a rare breeding bird in Tennessee's Unicoi Mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountains. I'm located in the TN river valley at the foot of these mountains.

Since this sapsucker landed on the tree at eye-level, I had a good view. It was fun to watch her diligent excavations and to see her scooting backward down the trunk before she finally departed. And even though the image below is a blur, I like seeing the relative size of her wing span, which Cornell measures at 13-16".

And on to the next tree.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #14 at Birdfreak.com to help raise awareness of the conservation of our world's birds.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Sit still in nature, in just one spot, and not only will your senses be renewed, she will come to visit you. And so it was, while lazily enjoying bluebirds and unseasonably warm sunshine, first the distinctive “cheerrrr”, then a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker appeared. A rare nesting species in the Unicoi Mountains of east Tennessee, its southern most range, the sapsucker winters in the state from September through May.

As his undignified name implies, the sapsucker feeds primarily on tree sap, a drilling achievement that has entertained scientists for years, since, despite much effort, they’ve been unable to duplicate this free flowing release of sap. Biologists now believe there may be an anti-coagulant in the sapsucker’s saliva that is the secret to its ability to keep tree sap from clogging. Representing one of nature’s hard-working neighborly sorts among birds, the trail of sap the sapsucker leaves behind benefits other birds and animals who feed on the sap and the insects attracted to it.

This White-breasted nuthatch, also feeding nearby, is one species that benefits from the sapsucker's efforts.

What a different world this would be if the human species shared resources so readily.