Birds and Nature

Late posting as I found this male Williamson's Sapsucker on Oct 10. He was south of Canon City in a dry gulch that runs through an area with pinyon and some ponderosa pines. I have found Williamson's Sapsuckers in this dry gulch in fall in previous years as well as many sapwells to indicate these birds must be migrating down through dry gulches.  Interestingly in these dry gulches I have found them most of the time on Siberian elm trees like the one pictured here.  However, when they go into Canon City they spend a lot of time also on non native trees but mostly on conifers like Scots and Austrian Pine.   These male Williamson's Sapsuckers are most handsome in fresh plumage.  SeEtta

I found this male Williamson's Sapsucker this week in Canon City. By this time of the year, it is most likely that this and the other sapsuckers are going to winter here. Yesterday I drove from location to location where I have found sapsuckers and came up with 1 juvenile Yellow-bellied, 3 male and 2 female Williamson's Sapsuckers. SeEtta

I found this adult male Williamson's Sapsucker in a deciduous tree near the Arkansas River at the end of Tunnel Drive in Canon City,CO. Although one to several Williamson Sapsuckers winter in Canon City most every year, it is unusual to have an adult male here and this is pretty early. This species breeds in the foothills southwest of this location mostly in ponderosa pine and conifers with nesting often in aspen trees. Double-click on the bottom pic to see it's cool pale yellow belly. SeEtta