Birds and Nature

Another day, another sapsucker--I found this new male Williamson's Sapsucker in a private yard in Canon City today. It is working some pines and is perched next to some sap wells he is enlarging. I have seen these birds making these enlarged and rectangular galleries of sap wells by continuing to drill and probe into the usual smaller and round sap wells they are known to drill. This pic provides a good view of one of these sap well galleries. Interestingly this type of enlargement into rectangles is described for Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Birds of North America online but not in the account for Williamson's. SeEtta

I photographed this Western Yellowjacket yesterday in Lion's Park in little Florence, CO as it and a number of other wasps feasted on/at some of the fresh sap wells drilled by the sapsucker(s) working the pine trees here. I have read that this species of wasp does not overwinter (except the queen)so these workers are time-limited. Also read that Western Yellowjackets are responsible for 90% of the stings reported in Colorado-glad these guys were busy sipping sap. SeEtta