I'm not an expert on garden wildlife like Shirl, but I did manage to identify one of several Yellow bellied sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius) feeding on my Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') last weekend. Over the past few years I've noticed rows of small holes drilled into the bark of the tree. This winter the birds are working overtime, and I'm a little concerned whether the 40+ year old tree can survive the damage. You can see one row of newly drilled holes to the left of the bird's breast.
What a great shot!
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few of these sapsucker rings on one of my pecans. So far it hasn't seemed to cause any long-term damage. I hope your tree fairs as well.
Thanks, Susan. We have a seemingly large population of pileated woodpeckers here too, and their enormous holes have killed trees. If your pecans are surviving, that's a good sign the sapsuckers' little holes won't do fatal damage.
ReplyDeleteHi there James :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree, a very nice shot indeed!
Thanks for the link and the compliment. I don't know if I'd say I was an expert - more of an enthusiast :-D
Shirl,
ReplyDeleteCompared to me, YOU are an EXPERT.