Nature Watch, May 8, 2024

A male hairy woodpecker, yes. But red on the forehead? Or the forehead and chin? Then it’s the bird of the moment, our recently returning summer resident, the yellow-bellied sapsucker. Without them, and their plentiful and brimming tree-trunk sap-wells, ruby-throated hummingbirds, many insects, and other creatures could not survive cold-snaps or late snow storms in spring! So rejoice in this bird with the funny name, the funny mewing and “yuck-a, yuck-a” calls, and get out the hummingbird feeders. Any day now hummers will be buzzing through!