November 27 - Persistence Pays Off

Earlier in November there were reports of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the Southlands area of Vancouver. This location is south of SW Marine Drive and is more known as a hub of equestrian activity. I had visited the area on 13th and 20th of November but had no luck with the bird. There were a number of birders on both days as we combed the streets around the area bordering the McLeery Golf Course.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is an eastern Woodpecker that is seen on rare occasions west of the Rockies.

On this Sunday, I made another trip, even though rain was threatening. There was only one other birder present, but he had located the bird and directed me to it. It was still hard to spot in the trees,  but it had a distinctive call and was quite vocal on this day. I located it and took a couple of photos with the Nikon.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Vancouver BC

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Vancouver BC

I was having trouble keeping it in the viewfinder, so I grabbed the Canon. This isn't quite as detailed but provides a different look.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Vancouver BC

It was raining heavily by this time so I called it a day.