Red-naped sapsuckers were stealing most of the sweets before the other colorful birds got up. I have been watching a pair of sapsuckers as they have built their nest, created traps for insects and have hatched out their baby hole-drillers. | Courtesy Bill SchiessOther birds may be attracted to the “sap fields,” and the sapsuckers will defend their farms and chase other birds away. The sapsuckers will fill their bills with insects and sap from willows, aspen and evergreens. | Courtesy Bill SchiessSapsuckers are cavity nesters, and most of them like to chip out their nest in aspens because the older aspens are often hollow while still alive.

Source: The Nation June 16, 2024 07:47 UTC