"Williamson's Sapsucker on a Branch"
By: Micheal Lee (Janesville, CA)
Avid birdwatchers use the term “lifer” to describe a bird species they’re seeing for the first time. I’m pretty sure this male Williamson’s sapsucker is in the lifer category for me. At least I don’t recall ever seeing one before and had to look up what it was. On a camping trip to Kyburz Flat in Sierra County, California, I walked by a dead pine snag several times, scaring a northern flicker out of it most times I passed. I noted some woodpecker holes in it and decided to try to come back and maybe get a shot of the flicker poking its head out of what I assumed was its handiwork. However, upon my return, this guy surprised me by being there instead. I struggled a bit to get shots of him as his movement around the tree reminded me a great deal of the downy woodpeckers I sometimes see in an old crabapple tree at my home. He didn’t stay still for more than a second at a time. I like this frame though, as he struck a bit of a pose on the weathered branch.
Camera Information: Canon R7 - Canon EF100-400II +1.4XIII
Image Location: Sierra County California
Category: Live Wildlife
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