Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Valentine's Day dawned almost unbelievably cold... well, for our neck of the woods... and it was pretty chilly indoors as well, since I hadn't started the living room wood stove last night like I should have. When I forced myself out of bed, it was pretty clear why I was courting frostbite, for outside, it was nudging 8 below zero, which is about as frigid as it ever gets—and way beyond the indoor warming talents of just one of our wood stoves. But on this, the coldest day of the season, there was a glimmer of hope that things just might be improving. At the suet feeder, I spotted the first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. They always arrive in mid-to-late February, right about the time that the maple sap starts to flow. The sapsuckers tap the trees by girdling them with little holes, out of which flows the liquid that sustains the birds. This year, however, I think the woodpecker with the silly name got here too early. I'll make sure I keep him well-stocked with suet.