I spent an hour and a half or so along the east side of Buena Vista Park from about 10am (Nov. 28), including on sapsucker watch for at least a half hour across from the Manor House/condo area, but no sapsucker appeared. There were a couple of Flickers and a Nuttall's, and lots of robins and hermit thrushes. Also a wren that gave a scolding call very much like a Bewick's but turned out to be a Pacific once I was able to get a good look, with a second Pacific Wren near the summit gleaning in brush piles.

I also did a very quick pass along the panhandle off Baker St., thinking that the sapsucker might be commuting between these wooded areas, but to no avail - people and dogs but very few birds.

Nice find Brian! Maybe someone else will have better luck.

Richard Bradus

San Francisco

On Friday, November 27, 2020, 1:04:42 PM PST, Brian Fitch <fogeggs@...> wrote:

Around 11:30 this morning I found an apparent adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker along Buena  Vista Ave East.  My wife and I were walking on the south side boardwalk in BV Park when I saw a woodpecker fly from the trees in front of BV Manor House up into a cypress cluster at the neighboring condo complex.  The bird was distant and in deep shade, but appeared to have a pure red throat bordered by thick black, and no red intruding onto the nape or face, which had bold black and white stripes.  The large white wing patch was clearly visible, and the back had white barring.

We then walked down to the street for closer views, but could not refind the bird.  We checked the well-used sapsucker tree in the park across from Park Hill, but it was empty.

Brian Fitch