Red-naped Sapsucker Photos

This morning I wanted to share a few Red-naped Sapsucker photos I have taken while in gorgeous alpine forests of Idaho and Utah.  Over the years I have found several nesting cavities in both states which has made photographing these sapsuckers easier.

Red-naped Sapsucker with prey in the shadows – Nikon D7100, f7.1, 1/320, ISO 800, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

I always remain at a respectful distance from the nests in a mobile blind so that the birds can go about about the business of raising their chicks.

In this first photo taken near Modoc Creek in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho the female was coming in to bring food to her chicks. The lighting wasn’t the best because she was in the shadows but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to delete this file. The image appeals to me because this is a view that many people get of this species while looking for them in the field.

Red-naped Sapsucker male clinging to an aspen – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light

I have found that during the nesting season Red-naped Sapsuckers can be quite noisy and they often announce their arrival to the nest with a call and they can also be heard drumming. One of my ways of locating nesting cavities of Red-naped Sapsuckers is to listen for them.

I also look for flashes of black, white and red among the trees of the forests I am in. This adult male Red-naped Sapsucker caught my eye as he made his way towards the nesting cavity he was using in the Uinta Mountains of Utah.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic and my personal safety concerns I didn’t get to visit the Uinta Mountains last year. I plan on going there as soon as I can this year to look for nesting Red-naped Sapsuckers to photograph.

Adult Red-naped Sapsucker with prey on the nest tree – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/320, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR , natural light

At another nesting cavity in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho that I found and I was able to spend several days in 2017 photographing the adult sapsuckers bringing food to their chicks. The lighting situation was more than challenging because I could only get light on the nesting tree in late afternoon and evening.

Adult Red-naped Sapsucker leaving the nesting cavity – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 800, -1.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light

The adult sapsuckers at this nesting cavity flew in and out frequently. That frequency increased as dusk approached.

Red-naped Sapsucker chick begging from the nest – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO500, -1.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light

I could hear the chicks begging to be fed from inside the nesting cavity. Their begging calls were almost nonstop. Some people might find those begging calls irritating, I didn’t. I wish I had been at this nest when the chicks fledged though. That would have been great fun.

Last year I spotted a few Red-naped Sapsuckers high in the Wasatch Mountains. I wasn’t able to take high quality images of them because I never had a clear view of the entire birds. I hope that this nesting season I will get more photos of Red-naped Sapsuckers to share here.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Red-naped Sapsucker photos plus facts and information about this species.