Red-Breasted Sapsucker

Day 178: You have to wonder how this bird got its common name, because although its head is red and the colour continues on the throat, it only extends a small distance down the breast. Why then is this a Red-Breasted Sapsucker? Sphyrapicus ruber is a woodpecker found only in the western part of the US, but occurs along the west coast from the Alaskan border through California and marginally into Nevada. They feed on sap and the insects drawn to it, drilling in a wide variety of native trees including Doug-fir. Mine seems particularly attracted to my Sitka Mountain-ash, as is evidenced by the neat lines of  'pecker holes in the bark. In fact, one particularly diligent bird topped my tallest Sorbus, and although I appreciated the help (it was too tall for me to manage), it was not work I had contracted and came as a bit of a surprise one morning when I looked out and saw a ten-foot length of the main trunk across my driveway. The break point had been holed to such an extent that it snapped under its own weight. Later, I discovered that the bird had apparently been drawn by ash-borers, and was not simply performing pruning duties but was in fact ridding my garden of a nasty pest. Thanks, Sappy!