In the past three days I have been entertained by a visitor that I have not seen for more than two years. I don’t really know if this visitor is actually one that I saw during the bitterest of late January and early February of 2014, but she is quite fun to watch whether new to my woods or not. I can see her out my kitchen window. She is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus various.
Back in the winter of 2014, a family of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers showed up at the “watering hole” adjacent to the woods, and just outside my kitchen window. Female, male and juvenile. It was so cold that I was concerned for them. The only thing they seemed to be doing was enjoying the warm water that I had provided, and shivering. Particularly the female. In the picture above, by the way, is the male. Notice his stronger coloring, and the crimson patch at this throat, compared to the first picture, my current visitor, a female. They stayed around for a few days, during those extreme days of 2014, and then I never saw any of this species of woodpecker again, until just a few days ago.
The female that has appeared at the suet feeder has declared this suet to be hers and hers alone.
She takes her time feeding at the suet and takes a break, clinging to the little Dogwood trunk just a few feet away, with her sharply clawed toes. There have been Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and Downy Woodpeckers who are regulars at the suet feeder. Now, if the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sees someone that she considers a violator of her space she immediately throws her body at the intruder. This has gone on for three solid days, every moment that the suet feeder has been out there, in daylight. I don’t know where she goes as the sun goes down, but she must trust that nobody is going to eat her suet.
This behavior has me curious and I’ve gone to an amazing reference “book”, the internet. I find that Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers drill holes into trees that create sap flows, called sapwells. Sapwells provide the birds with sap which they lap up with their brush-tipped tongues, a path to the tree’s cambium which they eat, and the sap traps insects which they also eat.
The information about the sapwells is not new to me. Up in the woods there are trees that have lines of holes. These are sapwells created by the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Even in the trees immediately around my cabin, I don’t have concern about the woodpeckers harming my trees. Seldom is serious harm done.
I do find a bit of information that might apply. These Sapsuckers tend to watch over and protect their sapwells. This has me wondering. Could she have tapped into the little Dogwood? I go out and sure enough, I find a sapwell! And within a short time, she is working on another Dogwood just a short distance away. From my perch at the kitchen window I can see telltale moisture around the area where she has been working.
Nature is always prodding me to dig to get more information. Dig to learn more. I love Mother Nature.
11 responses to “Sap is Flowing”
Love, love, love! Where do they summer? Obviously this little bird has found a friendly home. Will she raise babies on Snow Mountain?
Aw, thanks Ann! I keep digging, but find no information that would indicate the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers breed in Virginia. At least they migrate through!
Hi Ann! The Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers migrate to Canada and northern U.S. to spend their summers. I don’t believe they would raise their families in our area. Thanks bunches for reading my post!
What a treat this bird is to watch through your eyes. I only saw one once, in Maine. I didn’t realize they were protective of their “wells.” I do think I remember reading that hummingbirds migrating north may try to tap into their wells.
Thanks bunches Kathy! You’re right about hummingbirds coming to the sap wells. Poor Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers! Everyone wants their food! It is said that some hummingbirds time their spring migration to the drilling of sap wells by these woodpeckers, arriving just in time to sip the sap.
Very interesting, Brenda! I see woodpeckers quite frequently just outside our creek family room window–downy and red-bellied. Chuck is concerned about woodpecker damage to tree because we have a big old tree growing through our ground level deck (hole was cut through deck to allow tree to grow). Branches were cut off a long time ago so as not to block view or interfere with family room deck one story up. We have noticed woodpeckers pecking those cut off branch scars on a regular basis–hope no major tree damage?–would hate to lose that tree and it would be a beast to remove, especially so very close to our family room deck! What do you think?
Diane, so glad you’ve read my post, and delighted that you enjoyed it. I believe that woodpeckers tend to go to trees that are already in jeopardy, since their wood is more easy to “drill” into, being softer. I’m wondering if maybe you should have an arborist come out to take a look at your precious tree? I sure hope it is okay!
Me, too! Has lots of new bud growth so I pray all is well. Thanks for your suggestion. Great pics with your article.
Thanks Diane! Best of luck with your tree. It sounds so special. Keep me posted on its progress through the seasons.
What a cool bird…I wish we saw them in our garden!
Donna, I love them, in part because they are not the “usual characters”. Most of the time I see them in the dead of winter. This visit was a surprise and very entertaining! Wonder what you have that I don’t get to see!