March 25, 2026

“When you really pay attention, everything is your teacher.”
~ Ezra Bayda

Beloveds,

Yesterday (or maybe the day before), my teacher was a yellow-bellied sapsucker I spotted on the maple tree outside my kitchen window. I was surprised to see it circling and drilling into the treetrunk for over an hour, and I watched it pause repeatedly to fluff up the feathers on its belly (it was cold that day–must have been Monday) and to smooth its wing & tail feathers. Despite having a bright red cap and yellowish belly, in moments of stillness the bird was nearly invisible against the tree bark, as the pattern on its folded wing and tail feathers looked remarkably similar to the tree’s bark.

Only after observing it for some time as I moved about my kitchen did I ask the Merlin app for help identifying it. It was quite large compared to the woodpeckers we usually see in our yard, so it was quick work to find my new friend. After reading up since then on sapsuckers, I realize now she (no red throat, like the males have) was drilling tap wells (sapsuckers love sugar maples) which she may return to visit. And perhaps other birds will also feast on the sap and small insects trapped in it as it hardens. I’ll be keeping an eye out. According to the maps, Tennessee is winter territory for these birds, so I suppose I shouldn’t hope to see nestlings nearby this spring.

So what lessons has my yellow-bellied teacher offered? I’m still reflecting, but I think they are about persistence and planning (you’ve got to put in work to get to the good meals!), and alternating hard work with periods of rest and preening. Also about generosity and sharing: other species have or will feed at the many sap wells drilled into that tree trunk, the sap feeds new growth within and around the tree, and the tree adds so much in other ways to its biome (which includes me) and elicits my gratitude for its beauty and shade and soil-retaining root system, as well as the attraction of birds I enjoy watching.

I hope some of your attention this springtime is yielding observations similarly rich and sweetly educational!

Yours in love and learning,

Rev. Denise
RevDenise@gnuuc.org