Yellow-bellied sapsucker in the snow

Light snow was falling when this sapsucker paused on a bare branch, red cap and throat about the only color in an otherwise gray, snow-dusted scene. The red throat patch marks this one as a male — females typically show a white throat instead.

Why it matters

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers drill neat horizontal rows of shallow holes in tree bark to feed on the sap that wells up, and those “sap wells” are used by more than just the sapsucker — hummingbirds, other woodpeckers, and insects regularly feed from the same holes once they’re drilled.

Getting the shot

Falling snow this close to the lens tends to either vanish into blur or turn into distracting bright streaks depending on shutter speed — this settled into soft, barely-there flecks that add atmosphere without competing with the bird for attention.