Master of Camouflage

[Loupey]

I spotted this yellow-bellied sapsucker flitting in and out from this tree snatching berries off its branches so that it could pry them open against the trunk.

I was able to get extremely close to it (about 17'). Still, had I not seen it earlier or had it not moved, I doubt that I would have spotted it.

[Ron Kruger]

That's one chilly bird. Good shot.

[AgingEyes]

That's a yellow-bellied one? It looks like the red-breast sapsuckers I've seen. OK, the red-breasted one has a red head

[Loupey]

Ron - thanks for looking, thanks for commenting.

AgingEyes - I like the look of your red-breasted variety. Although I have to admit that I had to look it up as I only have Peterson's field guide of eastern and central US birds and the red-breasted is not shown.

[Loupey]

A few more of the same bird.

I was fortunate in that this bird had a preferred spot to land after snatching each berry.

It took several snatches until I had it where I wanted it against the area of background that I was planning in #2 here.

[AgingEyes]

The last one looks better to me. Very sharp on the eye. Wow, those belly feathers...have almost the same pattern as the bark.

[paulnj]

Those are one of my favorite woodpeckers!

[Loupey]

From a few days ago - chasing two Northern Flickers from tree to tree to tree was interesting.

Often I would walk right up to a tree (thinking the flickers were somewhere else) and not see the flicker until it moved - even with that splash of red.

Novice birder