Not much was happening during the first half of my park visit. Bobby was out north on the Con Edison tower while Sadie was in the nest.
Sadie eventually flew out of the nest and traveled southwest of the park.
She returned to the nest only two minutes later.
Putting on the air brakes:
All got quiet in the park again. A few Woodpeckers appeared out of nowhere and were flying from tree to tree.
Red-bellied Woodpecker in mid-dive:
A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker diving up alongside a tree:
I stuck it out for a while longer but Bobby didn’t show up to relieve Sadie of a nest break during my outing. I checked the live nest cam when I got home and of course he was right there in the nest!
Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are beautiful birds but are often considered to be pests because they feed on the cambium layer of tree bark, and can actually kill a tree by removing a strip of bark around the circumference of a tree. This is called girdling.
As a bird lover I can’t help but believe that Nature takes care of the losses, and converts them into new and imaginative forms. Dead trees serve a purpose and become homes for a myriad of other birds, such as owls, as well as countless animals like squirrels and raccoons. One third of all woodland birds live in the cavities of dead tree trunks. It’s very interesting for me to learn so much about the variety of wild birds that call Washington Square Park their home! Thank you for sharing your keen eye and love of birds Roger_Paw!!**
Thank you for sharing that knowledge! I love learning new bird/nature facts.
You’re very welcome! When I saw yellow-bellied sapsucker a bell went off in my head, but before I make a comment I check my facts first. I guess my comments sound kind of dull sometimes when I cite facts and I’m sorry for that. I wanted to add that these birds also eat fruits, berries, nuts, spring flower buds, and they feed on the insects and tree sap near the cambium layer, so they don’t only eat bark!! Thanks Roger!! Carlene**
Your info is never boring. I can picture them burying their long beaks in fruit now. I am enjoying that imagery. 🙂 Thank you!
Exactly! Nature takes care of itself with very little human interference needed. My Uncle built a log cabin and quite often woke to the sound of an industrious woodpecker making himself busy. He was very relaxed about his ” neighbors”. A moose used to peek in through the living room window and a large Grizzley wandered through the property occasionally. Oh, but back to tree fall…yes, many animals use deadwood as their home. If you can, leave it lie!
Reading the comments of Carlene and Elizabeth ,as well as pictures from you, Roger_Paw and I realize I am learning so many interesting facts that I never knew or thought about previously.
Thank you all for my informal , but interesting schooling.
Likewise, Jeanne. Thank you!