Hi Tweets

The Red-naped Sapsucker reported this morning by Ryan Merrill continues at Juanita Bay Park. At 4:15 pm it was perched/feeding in the slightly leaning birch tree just to the west of the beginning of the west boardwalk. It was about 1/2 way up the tree, on a secondary trunk that comes off about 15 feet below. It was apparently feeding from holes in the branch. It seemed quite comfortable during the 20 minutes I watched it, occasionally making stabs at flies buzzing around the area.

It appeared rather worn with somewhat bleached red on the top of the head and a faint red patch on the nape. The white line from the top of the bill around the throat was somewhat dirty looking. The white superciliary line above the eye and continuing to the red nape was a bit faint. The red throat was likewise somewhat worn. The yellowish edging the black below the throat was faint under the shadowed light where the bird was perched. The white wing patch was very worn.

Nice bird to see.

Good birding.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville Wa
mail to bell asoc at isomedia dot com