{"id":25471,"date":"2015-06-14T03:32:06","date_gmt":"2015-06-14T09:32:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=25471"},"modified":"2025-02-24T14:15:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:15:54","slug":"the-demise-of-the-magical-sapsucker-tree-and-the-luck-of-finding-more-nesting-cavity-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/06\/14\/the-demise-of-the-magical-sapsucker-tree-and-the-luck-of-finding-more-nesting-cavity-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"The Demise of the Magical Sapsucker Tree and the Luck of Finding More Nesting Cavity Trees"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PartPart of the “Magical Sapsucker Tree” – HTC One M8 cell phone image
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

After arriving at the Targhee National Forest in Idaho I hoped to photograph birds at the Magical Sapsucker Tree<\/span><\/a> but instead found the tree destroyed with part of it standing and the other part at a campsite. That was the part that had active nests the last time I was in this area. It was a tree that brought me much delight as a bird photographer but more important than that…<\/p>\n

It was a tree that provided safe haven for several species of cavity nesting birds<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It would not have taken much for a person to fell this tree because the heart of it was soft from a fungus and the cavities themselves also weakened it. The fungus is why some cavity nesting birds pick the trees with it because it makes removing the wood inside easier. I tried to hope that it has fallen on its own but the more I look at the cell phone images I took in the rain I am more than convinced that someone chopped the tree down.<\/p>\n

There are visible woods chips near the trunk on the ground and a few places where I see sharp edges that would not appear if the tree fell on its own. They would have splintered not snapped off as a hard, sharp edge.<\/p>\n

I want to look at the tree more carefully but that camping area is full for the weekend.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe downed part of the “Magical Sapsucker Tree” – HTC One M8 cell phone image<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the part that was at a campsite nearby, some of you might remember the initials and the numbers 2004 I complained about having in my images because the nesting hole was so close to them.<\/p>\n

This tree was chopped down on purpose and I am more than heart-broken about the loss of the tree and the lives of the birds that may have been in it when it fell, I am furious. I was angry and since I try to keep my blog PG rated I will just say this about it…<\/p>\n

#&$%^!!!!<\/p>\n

Since this was felled by the hand of man I would love to force the person or people who took it down to listen while each of us who care about birds and wildlife give them a piece of our minds about destroying a tree with active nests in it. Then turn them in because they violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Red-naped Sapsucker perched on an Aspen<\/span><\/p>\n

So I started looking for other trees that have nesting cavities in them and I found at least two that are active. So far at one of those trees there is a Northern Flicker nesting cavity and at the other one I have seen a Red-naped Sapsucker…<\/p>\n

\"HouseHouse Wren at its nesting cavity<\/span><\/p>\n

And a House Wren. Not much time was spent at either tree because of lighting conditions but I hope to spend more time at them both (from a respectful distance) to see what else might come to them.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew nesting cavity tree – HTC One M8 cell phone image<\/span><\/p>\n

I am heart-broken about losing the Magical Sapsucker Tree but I am glad to have found a few more where the chicks are thriving and are safe so far. Finding more nesting cavity trees helped a tiny bit to soften the blow of the other one being needlessly destroyed.<\/p>\n

Life is good, sad and frustrating.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my House Wren photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-naped Sapsucker photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am heart-broken about losing the Magical Sapsucker Tree but I am glad to have found a few more where the chicks are thriving and are safe so far. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2578,2244,2586,2141,2261],"tags":[1919,4897,5281,9428,5182,3720,5370,2167,3969,4069,4075,2580,2579,4998,2587,6576,7791,2144,9429,5847,3094,2145,4427,2585,4777,5802,3822],"class_list":["post-25471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-clark-county","category-idaho","category-house-wrens","category-red-naped-sapsuckers","category-targhee-national-forest","tag-aspen","tag-branch","tag-campsite","tag-cavities","tag-cavity","tag-cavity-nesters","tag-forest","tag-migratory-bird-treaty-act","tag-montana","tag-mountains","tag-nest","tag-nesting-cavity","tag-nesting-tree","tag-nests","tag-house-wren","tag-populus-tremuloides","tag-quaking-aspen","tag-red-naped-sapsucker","tag-safe-haven","tag-sapsucker","tag-sapsuckers","tag-sphyrapicus-nuchalis","tag-tree","tag-troglodytes-aedon","tag-woodpecker","tag-wren","tag-wrens"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-male-mia-mcpherson-3474.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-6CP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15316,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/04\/the-magical-sapsucker-tree-in-clark-county-idaho\/","url_meta":{"origin":25471,"position":0},"title":"The Magical Sapsucker Tree in Clark County, Idaho","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A month ago I photographed a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers excavating a nesting cavity in Idaho and this past week I spent several days photographing them again.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Williamson's Sapsucker leaving the nesting cavity, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8491.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8491.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-naped-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-7265.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-naped-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-7265.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-naped-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-7265.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-naped-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-7265.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46558,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/03\/sapsuckers-bluebirds-and-nuthatches-and-the-magical-sapsucker-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":25471,"position":2},"title":"Sapsuckers, Bluebirds and Nuthatches and the Magical Sapsucker Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Two years ago today I was in the Targhee National Forest of Clark County, Idaho photographing birds at what I called the \"Magical Sapsucker Tree\".","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Williamson's Sapsucker on a tree with three nesting cavities showing, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-food-chicks-mia-mcpherson-9018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-food-chicks-mia-mcpherson-9018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-food-chicks-mia-mcpherson-9018.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-food-chicks-mia-mcpherson-9018.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47826,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/29\/intruding-red-naped-sapsucker-or-just-a-curious-bird\/","url_meta":{"origin":25471,"position":4},"title":"Intruding Red-naped Sapsucker – Or Just A Curious Bird?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I do not believe that this bird was one of the pair of adult Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed feeding the chick in the nesting cavity, his bib and breast markings were different from the other adult birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-naped Sapsucker on a branch, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-branch-mia-mcpherson-3672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-branch-mia-mcpherson-3672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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