First time blipped!

Blipped by me, that is. This is (I'm pretty sure) a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Weird name isn't it? I was hanging around the bog this afternoon when I spotted him. According to my bird book, the name sapsucker comes from the horizontal rows of small sap wells that these birds drill. The book says,"They defend and maintain these well fields, returning frequently to drink the sugary sap."

Other species benefit from them too, including the ruby-throated hummingbird, bats, insects, flying squirrels, and many other birds. Who knew? Not I, that's for sure. This is the first one I've spotted in this area, and I was pretty excited to see something new and different. My book also says they are shy birds and currently listed as endangered in Ohio.

Weather update: We had rain last night that broke our long streak of 70+ degree days. Today was seasonally cool and cloudy, but the sun came out in the evening, and we had a beautiful walk in the park with Gulliver.