An adult yellow-bellied sapsucker

I shot this a few weeks ago from a running Suv . It's about 40% of the frame though.

Nice shot. Great detail.

I've been looking for one of these Paul. Not sure if there are many left around these parts tho.

I doubt you can find one now due to the migration, but you never know? They like high elevations to nest in (above 3000 feet usually)

This is what they sound like and the end is the UNIQUE sound of their drumming(well compared to common woodpeckers atleast)

http://biology.mhc.edu/ybsa/docs/yebsap.wav

Very cool Paul, thanks for the link. I bought a new bird guide book by Stan Tekiela, the guy I posted a link to a while back. Anyway, it doesn't have all the birds from my state in it, just the most common. I think there are 111 birds in the book. Anyway, there is an audio CD that goes along with the book that I'm thinking of picking up. I think it would be really cool to be able to ID birds by sound.

As far as finding a YBSS this time of year, I figured my chances would be slim and none. :) I was very surprised to find a Robin this morning tho. I haven't seen one of them in a couple months.

Birding by ear is what all good birders do , including me.

I have " BIRDING BY EAR eastern", "MORE BIRDING BY EAR" and "STOKES GUIDE eastern/central". The other peterson's CD's should be just as nice.

The STOKES CD's are the easiest to navigate through to find what you are trying to learn ;)

http://www.birdwatching.com/cds/index.html

purchases here help Cornell Labs who are leading componants in ALL bird conservation(the peregrine falcon, goldenwinged warblers, ivory-billed woodpecker......)

What I'd like is a portable version for the PDA.
organised for dummies
1) little brown birds
2) big brown birds
3) little black birds
4) big black birds
... etc

And the audio section
1) cheeping
2) tweeting
3) chirping
4) drumming (and bass)
5) hooting
6) screeching
7) singing

Then cross reference by habitat.
Filtered by time of year to give definite (doesn't migrate) likely (edge of migration) and you're joking (definitely ought to have gone by now).

Only for dummies though :)

Don't laugh, but this is as close as I can get you , but it's US birds ;)

http://www.ibirdpod.com/

Don't laugh #2...... My one cousin is a computer genious and between a few of us bird nerds in my family we could treak that IDEA to suit your discription. Licensing is the hold back ;)

An adult yellow-bellied sapsucker

I shot this a few weeks ago from a running Suv . It's about 40% of the frame though.


Sweet shot Paul!

Simply maahvelous as usual, paul. Got an early Christmas present Friday; a 2x teleconverter. I don't have a really fast lens so I will be relearning the art of manual focusing if I zoom way out. :D

Wow, they are geeks as well as birders :)
I'm impressed.

Excellent shot paul.