Can you feel my pain in these pictures? I hope so, because I’ve been trying since, what, November maybe, to photograph a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. They’re only in Greensboro during winter, so my window is closing soon. These two shots are the best I’ve gotten so far. Kinglets are tiny—about 4.25 inches—and they almost never stop moving. I was able to spot the ruby flash on top of a few males’ heads as they skimmed the tips of branches.
Near the bridge at the bottom of the central battlefield in Guilford Courthouse NMP, there’s a tree that’s riddled with sapsucker wells (at left). Today those wells were really dripping sap, which attracted many different birds, including these Kinglets, who readily eat the fruits of the sapsucker’s labor. Midafternoon is a great time to watch that tree for yellow-bellied sapsuckers, kinglets, tufted titmice, hairy and downy woodpeckers, chickadees, and more. Park yourself on the nearby bench and enjoy the show.
