Monday, February 02, 2009

Armchair birding



Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), eating berries from an Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana).



As seen from our living room sofa.



Please excuse the dirty window glass. I don't wash the windows, so that the birds won't fly into them. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

I didn't actually know that Sapsuckers ate berries, until I saw this one doing it.

20 comments:

R.Powers said...

Nice shots for being in a sofa blind.

NCmountainwoman said...

I've been wishing and wishing for a sapsucker. Perhaps I need to spend more time on the sofa! Great photographs.

Gail said...

That is a good reason to not wash the windows! Love this bird~~~they visit my garden and are fun to watch...

robin andrea said...

I love armchair birding, and what a wonderful bird to see out your window.

The Country Experience said...

Great pics, and you didn't even have to get cold or wet to take it. Props!

Pamela said...

my windows are dirty and the birds still knock themselves out on them!

Nice photo - in spite of your windows - I'd say!

countrypeapie said...

Wow, what a view! Great pictures. I always thought I was just lazy -- now I know my poor housekeeping is preserving nature.

LauraHinNJ said...

If I'm lucky, I'll get to hear their peculiar whiney call, but I seldom get to see one.

Lovely pics... thanks for sharing the view from your couch.

Anonymous said...

Stunning photos and I sure miss seeing my Sapsuckers!

Latane Barton said...

Those are really neat. I am getting more birds this year than ever before and I discovered that the suet I put out is what is drawing a lot of them. So, to the store for more suet.

Amy W said...

Wow, great pictures!! I would stick to that story too. :)

Rurality said...

FC, thanks, that's the other good thing about dirty windows, the boids don't see you as well. :)

NCM, heh. I'm surprised you don't have them there!

Gail, I have never managed to see them making or using their sap-sucking holes, have you?

RA, me too, we get lots of views of the yellow-rumped warblers from this sofa as well.

TCE, yep! If only we could entice more warblers to that tree in the spring, I wouldn't have to go out at all. :)

Pamela, oh no! Your house must be very inviting!

CPP, yep, preserving nature, that's the ticket!

Laura, I love those sounds they make too. What complainers, LOL.

Tom, we only get them from winter into spring - I miss them in the summer.

WLB, for some reason I can't get the birds here as interested in suet as the ones at our old house were.

Thanks Amy! It works for me. :)

Cindy said...

Love the bird pics. My BF is trying to convince me to move to Alabama.I have to say if it weren't for my close family ties here, I'd be ready to go. I enjoy your blog!

nina at Nature Remains. said...

What a treat.
We had a sapsucker here a few weeks ago, but she's gone now.
Sniff!
A rare one for me--treat her well.

Woodduck said...

Never seen one in my huge cedar in NC. I like it the Cedar Waxwings come in and try to strip it.
I think the berries ferment and the birds get woozie and start crashing into the windows.
Nice shot you captured...keep the windows dingy...happy trails

lisa said...

I saw my first one last summer, and it was eating the grape jelly I'd put out for the orioles. I left the jelly up all summer, and they kept coming back...glad to hear they like cedar berries too. I have plenty of those!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful story Karen and gorgeous captures of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! I wouldn't let anyone shake me from that story. I'm going to use it on my wife for my windows!

Window strike prevention made easy. I like it!

Anonymous said...

Great pictures from the sofa!

I have been birding by recliner as of late because of a back injury.

Large picture window, feeding station close by, a heating pad and my binocs.

Kim said...

Fabulous arm chair photos! Hmmmm. After seeing what good shots you got from your location, I may have to expand my feeding station some. ;o)

Anonymous said...

I was visiting with my neighbor today, and he was talking about scaring off the sapsucker that was drilling on his wax myrtle. He stuck a piece of tin foil on a branch - pretty smart. I hope the sapsucker "runs away" to my house across the street!!