{"id":47604,"date":"2017-07-07T05:09:26","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T11:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=47604"},"modified":"2025-02-24T12:51:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T18:51:41","slug":"red-naped-sapsucker-in-the-uinta-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/07\/red-naped-sapsucker-in-the-uinta-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uinta Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This male Red-naped Sapsucker was photographed last year in the high <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uinta_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Uintas<\/span><\/a>, a mountain range that is east of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains that I can see from where I live.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-140731 size-full\" title=\"Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uintas\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592.jpg\" alt=\"Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uintas, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592-800x571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uintas &#8211; Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>It is a bit of a drive to get there but the Uintas are beautiful and it is often much cooler there than down here in the valley.<\/p>\n<p>When I photographed this Red-naped Sapsucker last year he and his mate had been feeding young in the nesting cavity for a few weeks and both he and his mate&#8217;s plumage was beginning to look a bit worn.<\/p>\n<p>I had hoped to see young sapsuckers sticking their heads out of the cavity that day but it was not to be. I didn&#8217;t get that lucky. I could hear the young but I never saw them.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m going to have to keep trying to get the photographs I would love to have of the young sapsuckers peeking out of nesting cavities. This year the active nesting cavity in this same area wasn&#8217;t in a good place to photograph.<\/p>\n<p>I wonder how the young sapsuckers did this year because the area is used for camping and heavily trafficked, the July 4th holiday weekend was probably disruptive for them.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily they don&#8217;t have to put up with fireworks up there. Hopefully the young sapsuckers fledged either before or after the holiday weekend when there was less traffic.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/red-naped-sapsucker-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">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":"<p>This male Red-naped Sapsucker was photographed last year in the high Uintas, a mountain range that is east of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains I can see from where I live.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140731,"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":[27,2141,1731,5219,26],"tags":[4004,1919,5182,5370,4062,4069,4075,2580,2579,2144,5847,3094,2145,4777,2146,4193],"class_list":["post-47604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-red-naped-sapsuckers","category-summit-county-utah","category-uinta-wasatch-cache-national-forest","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-aspen","tag-cavity","tag-forest","tag-male","tag-mountains","tag-nest","tag-nesting-cavity","tag-nesting-tree","tag-red-naped-sapsucker","tag-sapsucker","tag-sapsuckers","tag-sphyrapicus-nuchalis","tag-woodpecker","tag-woodpeckers","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-uintas-mia-mcpherson-2592.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cnO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":40243,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/29\/red-naped-sapsuckers-feeding-chicks-at-a-nesting-cavity-in-the-uintas\/","url_meta":{"origin":47604,"position":0},"title":"Red-naped Sapsuckers Feeding Chicks at a Nesting Cavity in the Uintas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Finding Red-naped Sapsuckers feeding chicks at a nesting cavity in the Uintas made my day!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female and male Red-naped Sapsucker at nest, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapucker-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-9871.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-sapucker-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-9871.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapucker-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-9871.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapucker-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-9871.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41379,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/08\/28\/red-naped-sapsucker-showing-its-tongue\/","url_meta":{"origin":47604,"position":1},"title":"Red-naped Sapsucker Showing Its Tongue","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I came across this image and realized that the Red-naped Sapsucker had its tongue stuck out and I hadn't noticed that before.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-naped Sapsucker tongue, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-adult-tongue-mia-mcpherson-2528.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-adult-tongue-mia-mcpherson-2528.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-adult-tongue-mia-mcpherson-2528.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":84146,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":47604,"position":2},"title":"Red-naped Sapsucker Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I wanted to share a few Red-naped Sapsucker photos I have taken while in gorgeous alpine forests of Idaho and Utah.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Red-naped Sapsucker leaving the nesting cavity, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-at-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-3759.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-at-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-3759.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-at-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-3759.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-naped-sapsucker-at-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-3759.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7668,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/01\/juvenile-red-naped-sapsucker-in-the-high-uintas\/","url_meta":{"origin":47604,"position":3},"title":"Juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker in the high Uintas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker image was taken on my first camping trip in the high Uintas in Summit County, Utah not far from Christmas Meadows.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ashley National Forest&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ashley National Forest","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/ashley-national-forest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker, Ashley National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-juvenile-uintas-mia-mcpherson-5570.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-juvenile-uintas-mia-mcpherson-5570.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-juvenile-uintas-mia-mcpherson-5570.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47369,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/06\/18\/female-red-naped-sapsucker-with-a-bill-full-of-ants\/","url_meta":{"origin":47604,"position":4},"title":"Female Red-naped Sapsucker With a Bill Full of Ants","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Maybe next year I'll have better opportunities with these Red-naped Sapsuckers and maybe they will chose to place their new nesting cavity in a location that is easier to photograph.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-naped Sapsucker close up, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-female-close-up-mia-mcpherson-9936.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-female-close-up-mia-mcpherson-9936.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-female-close-up-mia-mcpherson-9936.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-naped-sapsucker-female-close-up-mia-mcpherson-9936.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":68087,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/08\/adult-male-red-naped-sapsucker-with-food-for-his-chicks\/","url_meta":{"origin":47604,"position":5},"title":"Adult Male Red-naped Sapsucker With Food For His Chicks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The adult Red-naped Sapsuckers often clung to the entrance to the nesting cavity for a few seconds before they went inside with the food they had gathered to give to their chicks.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-naped Sapsucker with food for his chicks, Modoc Creek, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, 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":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}