I took a walk on this foggy morning and about a mile away from home I saw some color on a tree in a drainage ditch by the road. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked closely. I saw this beautiful little bird. In my "Birds of Oregon" book, the Red-Breasted Sapsucker is the only species that matches the bird I saw. I was thrilled, as they are not a common sight, according to the book.

Interestingly, it was so occupied pecking at the tree that it ignored me. It looked right at me a few times but went right back to work. I got pretty close, about six feet away from it, got my shots and left so as not to disturb it. I was thankful that it posed for me as long as it did. I had my little V1 and a 10-100mm lens, which I use for general shooting, but wished I had the V2 and its 70-300 VR, which gives me 810mm EQV FL. Oh well, I was able to maneuver pretty close.