Woodpeckers and Sapsuckers

When I was living the the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, one of my yard birds were Acorn Woodpeckers. They are very social and collectively they search for acorns and use a tree to store them for the winter. The male below was right off my deck so I was able to get very close but he was in the shade and with a shutter speed of 1/1000s and an aperture of f/4.8 I needed to use an ISO1600, which is a little higher than I like but it was below my upper limit ISO2000 for the D800.

Featured Photo: Acorn Woodpecker, male (Melanerpes formicivorus) - Stapp Road, SCZ (CA)

EQ: D800, 300mm f/2.8 Taken: 5-30-2014 at 14:23

Settings: 500mm (35mm eqv), 1/1000s, f/4.8, ISO1600, Conditions: Shade

The Pileated Woodpecker’s range is East to Midwestern from Florida and east Texas to the south and north to the Boreal forests in Canada. They can also be found along the west coast and a far south to the Monterey Bay. They also occur in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada ranges and according to ebird they are rare for the eastern Sierras. Very impressive bird with a loud call and drumming.

Pileated Woodpecker, female (Dryocopus pileatus) - Chimney Beach, WAS (NV) 6-12-2020

D850 500mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3 EV

Pileated Woodpecker, male (Dryocopus pileatus) - No. Canyon Trail, CAR (NV) 6-14-2019

D850 500mm, 1/640, f/5.0, ISO720, +1/3 EV

The White-headed Woodpecker is a western bird and can be found all along the Sierra range and in the Cascades into Oregon and Washington. I was very close this this male on a trail within 5 miles of my home.

White-headed Woodpecker (Dryobates albolarvatus) - Browns Creek Trail, WAS (NV), 9-26-2019

D850 500mm, 1/800, f/5.6, ISO56

0, +1/3 EV

The Williamson Sapsucker is a migrant but is a year round resident in the eastern Sierras. This year I found a nesting pair with young above Lake Tahoe at Tahoe Meadows.

Williamson's Sapsucker, male (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) - Tahoe Meadows, WAS (NV), 7-18-2018

D850 500mm, 1/800, f/4.0, ISO360, +1/3 EV

Williamson's Sapsucker, female (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) - TRT - Spooner Summit, North, DOU (NV), 8-16-2018

D850 500mm, 1/640, f/4.0, ISO1250, +1/3 EV

The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is a year round resident of California and is about the size of the common and widespread Downy Woodpecker.

Nuttall's Woodpecker, female (Dryobates nuttallii) - Arana Gulch, SCZ (CA), 5-29-2015

D800 300mm, 1/1250, f/3.2, ISO1600, +1/3 EV

Nuttall's Woodpecker, male (Dryobates nuttallii) - Garland Ranch RP, MTY (CA), 8-13-2015

D800 300mm, 1/640, f/2.8, ISO360, +1/3 EV

In 2017, I went on an expedition along the Kamchatka Peninsula to Andar of eastern Russia and I saw 6 species of woodpeckers. The White-backed Woodpeckers I saw on a visit to our guide’s grandmother’s home outside of Vladivostok. The range of the White-back in a narrow band from Japan to eastern Europe and on the Kamchatka Peninsula. I also saw a Pygmy Woodpecker at the Vladivostok Botanical Gardens and it is mainly found in Japan, Korea, and the Vladivostok area. On the Kamchatka Peninsula, I encountered Eurasian Three-toed, Gray-headed, and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) - Babushka Visit, PRI (RU), 6-21-2017

D7200 500mm (750mm 35mm EQV), 1/800, f/4.0, ISO800, +1/3 EV

Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos kizuki) - Vladivostok Botanical Gardens, PRI (RU), 6-22-2017

D7200 500mm (750mm 35mm EQV), 1/800, f/4.0, ISO2500, +1/3 EV

Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) - Radar (balloon) Rd, KAM (RU), 6-24-2017

D7200 500mm (750mm 35mm EQV), 1/1000, f/4.0, ISO640, +1/3 EV

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) - Razdol Dacha, KAM (RU), 6-25-2017

D7200 500mm (750mm 35mm EQV), 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3 EV

Some other common Woodpeckers in the Eastern Sierra area are the Northern Flicker, the Red-breasted Sapsucker, which are a altitudinal migrant in my area. Another great Woodpecker is the Lewis’s, which I have as a yard bird. The Lewis’s Woodpecker is another western species that winters in the Southwest and breeds in Northern Nevada up into southern Canada.

Northern Flicker, Red-shafted, male (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) - Idlewild Park, WAS (NV) 12-16-2017

D800 500mm, 1/1000, f/4.0, ISO640, +1/3 EV

Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) - Swanton Rd at Last Chance, SCZ (CA), 12-07-2018

D800 500mm, 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO1250, +1/3 EV

Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) - Lockwood RP, WAS (NV), 9-14-2018

D800 500mm, 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3 EV

In May 2019, I went on a Warbler tour (see my 4 posts) and saw many Red-headed Woodpeckers as well as Red-bellied Woodpecker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) - Oak Openings, LUC (OH), 5-14-2019

D850 500mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO180, +1/3 EV

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) - Red River Gorge - Rock Bridge Road, WOL (KY), 5-10-2019

D850 500mm, 1/500, f/4.0, ISO64, +1/3 EV

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) - Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area, IOS (MI), 5-17-2019

D850 500mm, 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO280, +1/3 EV

On a trip to Tuscon, AZ in 2019, I saw the beautiful Arizona Woodpecker as well as Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, and Gila Woodpecker. The Arizona, Ladder-backed, and Gila Woodpeckers are Southwest and Mexican species and the Red-naped Sapsucker winters in the SW and Mexico and breeds in the west east of the Sierras up into Southern Canada. I have seen the Red-naped Sapsucker in the Reno area during the Spring and Fall migrations.

Arizona Woodpecker (Dryobates arizonae) - Madera Canyon, SCZ (AZ), 12-10-2019

D850 500mm, 1/800, f/5.6, ISO160, +1/3 EV

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) - Sweetwater Wetlands, PIM (AZ), 12-8-2019

D850 500mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO180, +1/3 EV

Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), Madera Canyon, PIM (AZ) 12-10-2019

D850 500mm, 1/640, f/4.0, ISO1250, +1/3 EV

Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) - Honey Bee Canyon, PIM (AZ), 1-8-2019

D850 500mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO110, +1/3 EV

The Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are common in North America with the Hairy venturing into Central America but the Downy’s southern limit is in the Southwest. The Downy likes the thinner branches with the Hairy preferring the tree trucks. The Hairy is larger and has a longer bill compared to the Downy and the Downy has black spots on the under tail coverts. Although the Hairy and Downy look very similar, the Hairy Woodpecker is more closely related to the White-headed and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, while Downy's closest relatives are Ladder-backed and Nuttall's.

I have seen 25 Woodpeckers and Sapsuckers in my birding and photography adventures and with 239 species worldwide I have a few more to photography

Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) - Tahoe Meadows, WAS (NV), 8-5-2020

D850 500mm, 1/800, f/5.6, ISO640, +1/3 EV

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) - Washoe Lake SP, WAS (NV), 4-22-2020

D850 500mm, 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO800, +1/3 EV

Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about these photos or any other leave me a message.