Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Back in Northfield after our month-long road-trip, we are slowly getting our routines reestablished. We cleaned and turned on the water feature. Banding nets are reopened. Today we banded this lovely male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The woodpecker flew to a tree near the water feature and then we caught it low in the net as the bird came in for water. This behavior is somewhat surprising. Walters et al. (2002) surmise that sapsuckers usually get all their water from their sap wells. Our bird, however, was clearly intending to drink from the water feature.