Date: 12/17/24 3:07 pm From: James Pike via groups.io <jimpike444...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] yellow-bellied sapsucker
I had a frustrating experience with a sapsucker in the NW quadrant of Mile Square Park this afternoon. It was in a small, broad-leaved tree on the golf course, briefly visible from the path along the fence before flying off to the south. I'm assuming it is an adult female Yellow-bellied, as the crown was solidly red, the throat was entirely white, and the supercilium broadly flared posteriorly. However, as I never saw the nape or back, I couldn't rule out the possibility of it being a hybrid. If entering the park from Heil, park in the lot adjacent to Utility (soccer) Field B. The bird was halfway between this field and Utility Field C to the east. Unfortunately, it may spend most of its time well out onto the golf course.
