Wedging a seed in a crevice and them hammering it open is common in Red-bellied Woodpeckers. I've never seen a sapsucker do this. I have, however, watched sapsuckers pick and swallow holly berries on a couple occasions. On at least a couple occasions I've also seen sapsuckers pick and swallow poison ivy berries. Pileated Woodpeckers will also occasionally eat berries - I once saw one eating poison ivy berries and on a couple occasions I've seen them picking and eating dogwood berries. This interesting to watch as the Pileated was hanging by its feet from the end of the dogwood branch as it picked the berries. When one of these birds was done, it dropped from the branch, spread its wings, barrel-rolled and flew off. I wish I had seen how it got into the position of hanging from the end of the branch in the first place. Chuck Nicholson Norris, TN -----Original Message----- From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Virginia Goolsby Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 12:21 PM To: jmarcetich@xxxxxxxxx; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Yellow-bellied sapsucker eating holly berries Monday, January 11, 2010 While I have not seen the action you are reporting, I have watched a Red-bellied Woodpecker take black-oil sunflower seeds and wedge them into a crack in the bark of a tree and proceed to peck the seeds to open the hulls. Titmice seem to do the same thing and also Carolina Chickadees. I've always felt that, lacking a good "seed-cracking" bill, they resorted to stabilizing the seeds and then opened the hull by pecking. Such interesting and entertaining feathered creatures! Ginger Goolsby Hamblen County Morristown, TN 37815 -----Original Message----- From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of james marcetich Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 11:40 AM To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Yellow-bellied sapsucker eating holly berries On Friday I observed a yellow-bellied sapsucker eating a holly berry, but it didn't swallow the berry whole. The sapsucker flew to a nearby tree trunk and wedged the berry into the furrows of the bark...at first I thought it might be storing berries like an acorn woodpecker, but instead it proceeded to chop/slice the berry with its beak, and to eat it in pieces. No idea if this is common behavior, but I found it surprising, and seemed to be almost 'tool-making' to wedge the berry for consumption. Anyway, interesting and fun to observe at close-range. James Marcetich Charles Russell Obed River Preserve Crossville, Tennessee =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should appear in the first paragraph. _____________________________________________________________ To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. ______________________________________________________________ TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clarksville, TN __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________ CyberDefender has scanned this email for potential threats. Version 2.0 / Build 4.03.29.01 Get free PC security at www.cyberdefender.com =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should appear in the first paragraph. _____________________________________________________________ To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. ______________________________________________________________ TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clarksville, TN __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________ =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should appear in the first paragraph. _____________________________________________________________ To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. ______________________________________________________________ TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clarksville, TN __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________