No Nuthatch Trifecta in 2010

For several winters now we have been fortunate to enjoy three species of nuthatch at our feeders. But not this year. If my field guides are right there are only eleven states in the US where this can happen, and that three-way sighting depends heavily on the migratory behavior of my missing friend: the Red Breasted Nuthatch (RBN). The Red Breasteds are identified as winter birds across much of the country, but they're not dependable visitors in North Carolina except in our mountains. I have a fondness for nuthatches and I think the RBN is the most attractive of the three species we see. And they are easy to attract with suet and peanut butter. Only recently did I come to understand why we have not seen any of the possible winter irrupters like the RBNs: evidently in El Nino years the northern tier states are warmer than normal (sounds strange given all the snow they had!) and that is enough to keep the nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, and others out of the southeast piedmont. The long and short of it is that we may very well see these birds again next winter when the El Nino tapers off. I will welcome them with open arms---and well stocked feeders!