{"id":46558,"date":"2017-05-03T05:22:46","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T11:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=46558"},"modified":"2025-05-26T09:08:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T14:08:01","slug":"sapsuckers-bluebirds-and-nuthatches-and-the-magical-sapsucker-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/03\/sapsuckers-bluebirds-and-nuthatches-and-the-magical-sapsucker-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"Sapsuckers, Bluebirds and Nuthatches and the Magical Sapsucker Tree"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

\"SapsuckerSapsucker wells in an Aspen<\/span><\/p>\n

Because the Williamson’s Sapsuckers had made that tree home for what appeared to be many years other species were also able to call it home by nesting on older cavities the sapsuckers had excavated.<\/p>\n

This photo shows some of the sapsucker wells that were drilled into a nearby aspen.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Williamson’s Sapsucker on a tree with three nesting cavities showing<\/span><\/p>\n

The male Williamson’s Sapsucker was beautiful, industrious and moved like lighting. I also saw male and female Red-naped Sapsuckers on the tree.<\/p>\n

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Nuthatch at a nesting cavity opening<\/span><\/p>\n

There were other birds like this Red-breasted Nuthatch that were attracted to the nesting cavity tree along with House Wrens, Mountain Chickadees, Northern Flickers, Tree Swallows and Pine Siskins too. I think the siskins were just attracted by all the noise the other birds made.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Mountain Bluebird clinging to the nesting tree<\/span><\/p>\n

A pair of Mountain Bluebirds had made one of the cavities their nest and spent time defending it and bringing in nesting materials.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Mountain Bluebird clinging to the nesting tree<\/span><\/p>\n

The last time I saw the tree standing the bluebirds were on eggs and I was so excited that I might be able to see them feeding their young there along with possible young Williamson’s Sapsuckers in another cavity.<\/p>\n

But it was not to be. Someone chopped down the nesting cavity tree that might have had baby birds in it and when I saw what had been done I felt as if my gut had been punched by a prize fighting boxer.<\/p>\n

I keep hoping I will find another magical sapsucker tree as busy and as magical as this tree was. I miss it. All of these images were taken two years ago today.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bird photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":147487,"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":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2578,2244,1369,3700,2261,2575],"tags":[4004,1919,5933,4880,4070,5370,4062,228,2580,2579,4927,4928,3701,5847,5846,3094,4339,3702,2577,9443,2576,4777,2146],"class_list":["post-46558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-clark-county","category-idaho","category-mountain-bluebirds","category-red-breasted-nuthatches","category-targhee-national-forest","category-williamsons-sapsuckers","tag-adult","tag-aspen","tag-bluebird","tag-bluebirds","tag-female","tag-forest","tag-male","tag-mountain-bluebird","tag-nesting-cavity","tag-nesting-tree","tag-nuthatch","tag-nuthatches","tag-red-breasted-nuthatch","tag-sapsucker","tag-sapsucker-wells","tag-sapsuckers","tag-sialia-currucoides","tag-sitta-canadensis","tag-sphyrapicus-thyroideus","tag-wells","tag-williamsons-sapsucker","tag-woodpecker","tag-woodpeckers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-c6W","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":114509,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/07\/19\/3000-daily-posts-in-a-row-milestone\/","url_meta":{"origin":46558,"position":0},"title":"3000 Daily Posts In A Row Milestone","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is a milestone day for me. I'm celebrating the fact that I have shared 3000 daily posts here at On The Wing Photography in a row.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Williamson's Sapsucker clinging to an aspen, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-5002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-5002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-5002.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/mountain-chickadee-miamcpherson-5182.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/mountain-chickadee-miamcpherson-5182.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/mountain-chickadee-miamcpherson-5182.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/mountain-chickadee-miamcpherson-5182.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15316,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/04\/the-magical-sapsucker-tree-in-clark-county-idaho\/","url_meta":{"origin":46558,"position":2},"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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8491.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-flight-mia-mcpherson-8491.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23227,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/05\/04\/black-and-blue-all-over-with-just-a-splash-of-red\/","url_meta":{"origin":46558,"position":3},"title":"Black and Blue All Over With Just a Splash of Red","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, it was another fun morning at the Magical Sapsucker Tree and today the cast was joined by a pair of Mountain Bluebirds who seem dead set on taking over the Northern Flicker cavity.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Mountain Bluebird at a Northern Flicker nesting cavity, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15114,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/06\/01\/wonderful-lifers-williamsons-sapsuckers-at-their-nesting-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":46558,"position":4},"title":"Wonderful Lifers – Williamson’s Sapsuckers at their nesting tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I could barely contain myself because in my viewfinder was a gorgeous red, yellow and black colored male Williamson's Sapsucker.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Williamson's Sapsucker on the nesting tree","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-1129.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-1129.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-1129.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 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