A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (whom I affectionately called “Winston”) was a regular at our Bark Butter Branch during the winter season. He left about a month ago, but one of his kinfolk (coming in at bird #10 in the Thirty-Bird Challenge) made a brief appearance earlier this week.

I’m pretty sure this guy (you can tell it’s a male by the red neck feathers) was just fueling up and grabbing a quick migration meal before continuing his journey north.

Wanna know a couple of fun facts? (Of course you do!)
Well, first, these birds drill holes in trees called “sap wells” during the winter months. Then, when the Hummingbirds arrive in the spring, they eat at these wells while they wait for the flowers to blossom. How cool is that!

Another fun fact is that the males migrate north a week or two earlier than the females and get the nests ready. The same pair often stays together and returns to the same spot as the year before. This amazes me – that they can fly across the country and find the same exact nesting site…sheesh…I can get lost going to Walmart!

At any rate, I’m glad this fella showed up and made the list!