[SBB] Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Juvenile in Stevens Creek CP

["Peggy Don" <[[email protected]]>]

SBBers:

I'm sorry for the belated posting but I wasn't sure about what I saw.  Monday, 10/17/05, I was in the Baytree Picnic Area in Stevens Creek CP when I saw a brown-headed sapsucker.  It was around 5 and the sighting was brief but I knew that it was a sapsucker because it had the large white wing patches.  I assumed that it was a Red-breasted Sapsucker juvenile.  The following afternoon I went to refind it.  This time I had it in my scope and the field marks were closer to a Red-naped or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker juvenilve.  I was taking a picture when another bird flew in and one of the birds flew off.  In my scope was now an adult Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Hmm, maybe I was wrong.  I was out of the area the next day.

I went back this morning and saw Pat Kenny and Roland Kenner.  The juvenile was in one of its favored trees.  We discussed the field marks shown in Sibley's and we were leaning toward Red-naped Sapsucker although Yellow-bellied was also considered.  I sent a couple of pictures to Mike Rogers and he said that it is a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker because a Red-naped would have molted into its adult-like plumage before migrating.
However, to me the facial pattern does look more like the juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker in Sibley's Guide.

This afternoon the RBSA was in the large sycamore tree down and just to the left of the entrance to the picnic area from the parking lot.  The juvenile flew into the tree and was chased out.  It flew around the picnic area and then back into the tree.  They got into a tussle over their picnic table.  Both fell out of the tree onto the ground.  One flew off and the other went back to the tree.  Apparently the juvenile has learned to stand its ground because this time it was the victor.  

Please don't go too near the tree if it is present.  It is a little skittish and hopefully it will remain for others to view it.  You can get a good view of it from about 15 to 20 yards.

Good birding,
Peggy Don
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