Re Nuthatches :?:
There was a White Breasted Nuthatch on the Tree for most of the evening.. It seemed to be quizically looking at that netting that surrounds our Trampoline or waiting for the feeders to be filled.
I haven't seen one since last December. During the winter of 2007/08 we had them all winter.. Has anyone else seen them recently?
We have had zero Red Breasted Nuthatches .
Napper
Funny you ask that....
Nuthatches seem to come and go in my yard, last year I had a pair of white breasted for the summer and fall, plus I had a red breasted busily cacheing seeds last fall only to disappear when the heavy snow hit/haven't seen it again - the white breasted were around until some time in January, they disappeared for a few weeks then returned again. They were back pretty well through most of feb and march obviously as a pair and I thought they were nesting in the tree beside the house...but then they disappeared again and I hadn't seen them until just
yesterday when both of them were on the peanut cage numerous times and back again today...wonder how long they will stick around this time?
Last fall one of them was whizzing around the yard and then landed on the maple tree and just sat there for about a half hour - I was able to get right up as close as I wanted, so I took a lot of pics - sounds like similar behaviour to what you witnessed.
I made the presumption that they are here when they need food and not when they don't, the downy, hairy and red breasted WP's seem to come and go as well - I guess they just don't freeload and take the easy food like some types of birds do.
..and I am also making the presumption that I am seeing the same Nuthatches but how could you know other than they seem to know where the feeders are. :-)
Joann
