Sometimes the wild life I find in Brooklyn surprises me, especially when it turns up in my backyard. About a month ago I had an immature male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in my backyard.
So Saturday, after an extremely trying week teaching my 7th graders, I was standing in the backyard enjoying the sounds of morning. I said in my head, "I'd love to see another yellow-bellied sapsucker." On cue one came around the trunk of the tree. Wow I thought. Then I saw another one flitting above in the tree tops. The one that is pictured here appears to be a female and possibly an immature one. She has stayed around all weekend. My daughter saw her in the backyard this afternoon.
When I first saw her she pretty much stayed on the same tree trunk. She actually was quite still and low when I started taking pictures.
So I took a few dozen pictures and then left her alone to enjoy the sap.
What is interesting is that the females mostly migrate further south and the males migrate south but will be found further north. So whether she will stay around or head south at some point will be interesting to note. The trees in the back must have some yummy sap.
I can't believe it's been 10 years. My daughter and I were remembering all the crazy fears gripping the world at the turn of the century, but nothing happened. Here we are 10 years later, unbelievable.
Along the Gowanus canal
