sappy

Yes, that white stuff at the base of this Northern Flicker's bill is sap from the pine tree.
I watched him quite awhile as he slid his bill underneath the flaps of bark looking for bugs. He did amazing things with his head, like rotating it around so his chin was aligned with his back while he got just the right angle on the bark. But when I captured that moment, he looked deformed and not really blipworthy.
I also saw him with his eyes closed while his tongue reeled in a bite to eat. But alas, he was moving faster than my chosen shutter speed.
So here he is, looking all regal like he is posing for an oil painting, but really he is in the middle of a messy meal.