A female Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker has been visiting our suet, and we're thrilled because it's the first we have ever seen.
The photo is blurry, but I'm glad to have actually gotten a few. She's been getting bolder, not minding if we stand close to the window near the feeder, and ignoring the two cats that peer at her through the glass.
When we first saw her, my mind immediately wanted to identify her as a Downy Woodpecker. But the Downy is chunkier, smaller, and whiter than the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (to mention a few differences) and now that we've been comparing them as they take turns at the suet, they look very different from each other.
Guess we'll have to refill the suet if we want her to keep visiting.
This bird has me baffled! It doesn't have the white stripe running up its side that sapsuckers are known to have, yet I can't figure out what else it would be!
Posted by: Kate | December 04, 2010 at 09:13 PM