With maple season on the doorstep, it's all hands on deck at the Nature Center, preparing our buckets and spiles, tapping our trees, and kicking off the maple season.

But we're not the only ones taking advantage of the sap flowing from our maple trees—there's one particular red-headed friend who's here for the sugary sap.

If you've seen a distinct row of small holes, all perfectly drilled in a line across tree trunks, you’ve probably seen the marks left by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius).

These birds are the only sapsucker species found in Ohio, and they're only here during their migration season. Our maple trees provide them with sustenance to get to their migration sites in Canada and Mexico.

While they’re never here for long, winter is a great time to spot Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and other woodpeckers. So, the next time you’re out on a hike see if you can spot any up in the treetops!  

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