I was on my usual bike ride and had just come out of the restroom at Lander
St. when I heard a bird calling that I did not recognize. While I do not
know all the Boise River birds by sound, I knew I had never heard this sound
along the river. The bird continued to make little “whinny” noises, which
made it relatively easy to find. As soon as I saw the bird, I knew I had
something different. The bird was obviously a type of woodpecker, but it had
none of the markings I’m familiar with. It’s back was like a Ladder-backed
Woodpecker, but so was its front, which didn’t fit anything in my memory
banks. Adhering to Harry Krueger’s advice to watch the bird before grabbing
the guide, I stood and watched its continued activity, trying to get a
better view of its head for any markings.

In the meantime I called Larry and Missy Arnold for some backup. While they
were en route, I realized the bird was acting like a sapsucker, going back
over areas where it had already pecked. I searched the photos in iBirdPro
and found a match in the female (juvenile?) Williamson’s Sapsucker. While I
had seen adult males in the mountains before, I had never seen this
particular plumage, which made it quite a treat.

Larry and Missy arrived and confirmed my identification, and I was as happy
as a hog at the trough.

For anybody chasing, the bird was sticking to a pine tree just west of the
rest room. The 2 trunks of the tree form a large “V.”

Tom McCabe, Boise