The white-breasted nuthatch may be a common enough bird, but they're uncommonly cute and quite feisty. They're also a lot of fun to watch.
I often call them "merp", because that's the sound they make over and over again as they're making their way down the tree (usually head-first) to get to the feeding shelf.
In the colder months, when food isn't quite so plentiful, these bold birds will come in (merp-ing all the way) to take peanuts out of our hands. My brother and I like to see how many different kinds of birds we can
The titmouse has joined in the fun at the feeding board, selecting from the banquet of sunflower seeds before them.
It's a serious decision - which seed to take and hide this time around... Many birds will just grab and go, but the nuthatch ponders all the possibilities before committing to a particular course of action.
6 comments:
I love the nuthatches too ! So quiet, just going about their business, not making a bunch of racket like the juveniles of the blue jays and grackles are right now. ;^)
hugs from BetsyLee
I too love to watch the nuthatches. I learned about them over 30 years ago, when my husband's uncle who got me into bird feeding/watching pointed them out to me at the lake one day. I was mesmerized by their head-ward walking down a tree. Just loved watching them then and now.
I have never tried to feed them peanuts out of my hand. How long does it take for them to come to you? I can walk about my gardens/yard working in the gardens and have some birds stay on the feeders as I walk by. If I am filling the feeders or the bath and a bird comes in I freeze and let them do their thing until they leave and then I finish my thing. So interactive.
Sheila
BetsyLee, you're right. The nuthatches are such nice birds. It's rare to have one chase the other birds off. In fact, they usually seem to wait patiently in line until the bolder chickadees have come in for a snack or two. And yes, the jays and grackles are being pretty loud (and quarrelsome) these days. Hugs right back! :)
Sheila, the chickadees will probably be the first to land on your hand for a peanut. They also seem to be the ones who find the new bird feeders first - it must be their curious nature that makes them want to investigate anything different in their environment. It also depends on how long you're willing to stay out in the cold to try and entice them. We usually have the chickadees coming in within a day or two, but we have return customers from past years who remember the prime snacks from the previous winter. The nuthatches are a little more cautious and act like they're going to come in before chickening out at the last minute for a pretty long time. It may take a week or two of standing still patiently. It also helps to have something to prop your hand on, because it gets tiring to hold it up for so long. Once the nuthatches start, though, they're loyal visitors. I've even had one follow me through the woods for a while when I was taking a walk with Baloo. It quit when I reached the end of its territory, but it was fun to have a winged walking companion. :)
What a thrill to have a little birdie accompany you on a hike !
When I walk in the woods, the little stinkers stay up in the treetops, tweeting and mocking me for being so noisy, and for not being able to see what species they are.
I love 'em in spite of the disrespect. ;^)
BetsyLee
BetsyLee, the warblers love to tease and mock me. They will sing their little hearts out until I try to find them in the foliage. Then, they shut up and snicker into their wings until I give up and turn away. At that point, they commence their singing again. They are definitely little stinkers, but, yep, I love them just the same. :)
The grackles and starlings are becoming "pig birds" at my feeders. They are here more than other summers and they eat everything in sight in no time and they keep many of my other birds away. I know they need to eat too.........but!!!
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