My wife, a birder identified this Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) feeding on our Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') 2 weeks ago. This little woodpecker was a "life bird" for her, a new bird seen for the first time. It was a chance for me to take a good picture to identify the bird. I tried to get close to a bird obsessed with making holes before it flew away. Soon it would back with a chance for more pictures. Over the past few years, I've noticed rows of small holes drilled into the blue atlas cedar's bark. These small woodpeckers drill holes in many types of trees. The holes are about 3/4 inch deep and dug out by its chisel-tipped bill that's relatively short and straight. The birds drink the sugary sap that flows from the holes and also eat any seasonal insects attracted to it. Hopefully, this 40+-year-old tree can survive the damage. You can see one row of newly drilled holes to the left of the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
