Continual Learning

Red-breasted Sapsucker

I go on a bird walk daily.  It may be at a city or county park, or even at a nearby refuge, but a majority of the time it is just within my local neighborhood here at Dallas Retirement Village. That may sound boring, because as you might suspect, I see some of the same species every time. But the hidden gem here is the astonishing amount of learning that is connected with this repetitive activity. I know before walking out the door I will hear and see some American Crows, Anna's Hummingbirds, California Scrub Jays, and European Starlings, just to name a few. But occasional I get a surprise, like a hawk, or an unusual sparrow, or, like today, a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  In fact, today, I saw two Red-breasted Sapsuckers! But, the real point of my post today is not about unusual birds, as it is about the value of birding every day. It inevitably leads to a greater understanding of birds in general, or in this case, some birds in particular. I have known for some time that Sapsuckers drill holes in the bark of trees to have access to sap. They then revisit these sap "wells" to slurp up the sap again and again. Insects are also interested in the sap, but sometimes get caught in the sticky sap which serve as an extra bonus for the sapsucker. On a recent bird walk my wife and I observed an Anna's Hummingbird visiting a sap well to harvest the sweet sap. Then yesterday on Jan 13th, we found two Red-breasted Sapsuckers on two different trees, and at both locations, a pair of Anna's Hummingbirds swirling around to sneak in for a serving of sap. Who knew that hummingbirds are dependent on sapsuckers for provisions? My conclusion is that there is much to learn with continual daily observations.