We had a FOY sphyrapicus ruber hammering on an Atlas Cedar in our yard this afternoon. There's not much else that hangs on the side of a tree and hammers and has a completely red head.

Tom Benedict
Seahurst, WA


> On Jan 14, 2024, at 16:41, Blythe Horman <blythe.horman at gmail.com> wrote:

>

> Hi Tweeters,

>

> I just got a peekaboo glimpse of a slim robin-sized woodpecker foraging about 2 feet off the ground on a tall cedar or fir (need to brush up on my trees) with a very distinctly red head. Unfortunately, someone walking by flushed it and it flew away out of my line of sight.

>

> Could it be anything other than a Red Breasted Sapsucker? I've never seen one foraging so close to the ground. It also seemed lighter than the dark phase usually seen out here.

>

> Walking over to the tree, I didn't see any fresh holes, although if it was foraging for insects, the bark was old and full of many pits and crevices.

>

> Thank you.

>

> Blythe Horman

> Lynnwood