Red-naped Sapsuckers

Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Red-naped Sapsuckers are medium sized woodpeckers with black and white plumage, a white stripe on the wings, red crowns, throats and a red spot on the nape.

Red-naped Sapsucker Photos

By |2021-04-11T06:10:38-06:00April 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I wanted to share a few Red-naped Sapsucker photos I have taken while in gorgeous alpine forests of Idaho and Utah. 

Adult Male Red-naped Sapsucker With Food For His Chicks

By |2021-04-11T06:05:04-06:00April 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Photographic Frustrations – Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest

By |2021-04-11T06:37:58-06:00July 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Frustrations in bird photography, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I experienced one of the two most frustrating days in my entire time of being a bird photographer while photographing Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho.

Male Red-naped Sapsucker Close Ups – Too Much Glass

By |2021-04-11T06:42:25-06:00June 8th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted a flash of black, white and red as a bird landed in the aspen tree that was closest to me above where the wrens and swallows are nesting and realized that a male Red-naped Sapsucker had flown in and was foraging for food in the buds of the aspen.

My Year of Bird Photography in 2017

By |2020-12-29T16:50:22-07:00December 31st, 2017|Categories: American Tree Sparrows, American White Pelicans, Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Green-tailed Towhees, Idaho, Prairie Falcons, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Short-eared Owls, Swainson's Hawks, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love what I do, I love my subjects and it doesn't matter if I find them close to home or further away. I am blessed. 2017 has been wonderful and I am excited for what 2018 may bring.

Perched male Red-naped Sapsucker in Idaho’s Targhee National Forest

By |2021-04-11T06:06:33-06:00December 4th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Red-naped Sapsucker was perched on a dead aspen branch near the nesting cavity where I photographed a chick being fed by the adults in mid July.

Red-naped Sapsucker Diving Away From Nesting Cavity

By |2021-04-11T06:46:07-06:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did find one jewel in the images, a photo of one of the adult Red-naped Sapsuckers flying away from the nesting cavity looking like a bullet.

Intruding Red-naped Sapsucker – Or Just A Curious Bird?

By |2021-04-11T10:18:40-06:00July 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I do not believe that this bird was one of the pair of adult Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed feeding the chick in the nesting cavity, his bib and breast markings were different from the other adult birds.

Adult Red-naped Sapsucker Feeding its Chick at the Nesting Cavity

By |2021-04-11T06:50:10-06:00July 14th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Although photographing the Red-naped Sapsuckers at the nesting cavity has been frustrating at times it has also been very rewarding to observe all the action of the sapsucker family.

Targhee National Forest Red-naped Sapsucker Feeding Young

By |2021-04-11T06:59:25-06:00July 12th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Jackpot and frustrations... I'll explain the jackpot first and get to the frustrations later about the Targhee National Forest Red-naped Sapsucker feeding its young.

Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uinta Mountains

By |2021-04-11T07:02:24-06:00July 7th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Female Red-naped Sapsucker With a Bill Full of Ants

By |2021-04-11T07:07:13-06:00June 18th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By |2024-03-05T06:08:04-07:00December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

Red-naped Sapsucker Showing Its Tongue

By |2021-04-11T07:12:47-06:00August 28th, 2016|Categories: Birds, High Uintas, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I came across this image and realized that the Red-naped Sapsucker had its tongue stuck out and I hadn't noticed that before.

Red-naped Sapsuckers Feeding Chicks at a Nesting Cavity in the Uintas

By |2021-04-11T07:17:57-06:00June 29th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Finding Red-naped Sapsuckers feeding chicks at a nesting cavity in the Uintas made my day!

The Demise of the Magical Sapsucker Tree and the Luck of Finding More Nesting Cavity Trees

By |2024-02-26T08:11:17-07:00June 14th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am heart-broken about losing the Magical Sapsucker Tree but I am glad to have found a few more where the chicks are thriving and are safe so far.

Red-naped Sapsuckers of Clark County, Idaho

By |2021-04-11T07:22:42-06:00July 6th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a Sapsuckery trip to Montana and Idaho last week, with Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsuckers at their nesting cavities

The Magical Sapsucker Tree in Clark County, Idaho

By |2024-02-26T07:47:25-07:00July 4th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker in Summit County

By |2021-04-11T07:26:08-06:00February 10th, 2014|Categories: Ashley National Forest, Birds, High Uintas, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The bad weather here has given me cabin fever so last night I looked through my archives and enjoyed some images from brighter, warmer days and came across this juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker image from my first camping trip to Utah's high Uintas in Summit County.

Juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker in the high Uintas

By |2021-04-11T07:28:37-06:00March 1st, 2013|Categories: Ashley National Forest, Birds, High Uintas, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

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