We have these fun characters in our yard regularly, too, mostly on an
Asian vine maple that is ringed all over with holes from time before we
bought the place. In spring and fall when the sap is running (now)
there is one in that tree almost every time I look or step out the
door. I wonder if one bird lays claim to a tree this size (about 22
feet tall) since an event last spring. During the sap rising period
when a "sappy" (my pet nickname for them) was visiting the tree daily, I
sadly discovered one on a foggy morning that had hit a window on the
opposite side of the house... it would have been flying in the direction
of this particular tree. After that I did not see one in that tree for
about a month. Then after a "replacement" was seen one day, I saw one
in there almost every day after that until early summer.
I have seen them on the firs here, too, but only for a brief few minutes
as opposed to the hours spent in that Asian vine maple. We also have a
small Asian ornamental pear that gets occasional attention with a few
holes but only on the 6" diameter trunk. Maybe they are picky as well
as a bit obsessive about their sweets.
As for the theory about most birders that go to the coast spending all
their time looking at the ocean, I concur. However, I might be one
exception to that since I spend more of my time at the coast birding
bays, wetlands and the surrounding trees.
Tori M.
Cottage Grove
On 11/3/2015 6:57 AM, Janet and Phil Lamberson wrote:
The Red-breasted Sapsucker(s) that have been hanging out at my house
out at my house every fall/winter for years favor the Asian elm trees,
and sometimes the birch and the apples. These are all nonindigenous
tree species, so the occurrence of sapsuckers here may be anomalous.
They are rarely on the alders, though I have even seen them on the
Douglas fir and even the cedars. I always enjoy seeing them! I
wonder how long they live, and whether the same bird(s) are coming
here every year.
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