Williamson's Sapsucker in Colorado!

Length: 23 cm (9").
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On Jun 5/09 I was in Rocky Mountain National Park near the Upper Beaver Meadow trailhead where I was able to catch this shot of a male Williamson's Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) at its nest hole! In most woodpeckers, the sexes have very similar coloring; but in this sapsucker, the male and female plumages are so different that they were once thought to be separate species! I waited awhile to get a picture of his mate, but It was already midafternoon and the sky was clouding over. I knew I would have to come back another day!
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About a week later (Jun 13/09) I was in the Park again and got this photo of the female Williamson's Sapsucker about to enter the nesthole with an insect! Note her brown head and the upperparts entirely barred black and brown. Very unusual!

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But before she could go in, he would have to come out! Note his beautiful jet black plumage, white face stripes, and bright red throat! Both sexes have the yellow belly. While I waited for a few more digiscoped pictures, I was able to watch these busy parents coming and going. They seemed to spend most of their day taking turns either foraging for prey or attending to the young inside their tree-trunk home!

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Williamson's Sapsucker occurs in the coniferous forests of the mountains in the western United States and is not common. It is reputed to be wary and shy, but this pair was nesting in a tree right beside a well-used park trail and did not seem to be disturbed by me or the hikers that came by quite frequently.