Any Chance For Red Breasted Nuthatches?

Yesterday's post got me thinking about other irruptions of usually northern birds. And one I would love to see again is the Red Breasted Nuthatch. I had very good luck with them in 2008 and 2009, but not a one showed up in 2010. But the Great Backyard Bird Count hasn't shown impressive wintering numbers since the great irruption of 1998. I'm not sure what will happen up north this year; predictions vary enormously. The popular almanacs suggest unseasonable cold, the serious climatologists say something else. Adding to the mystery is that birders have reported sightings this month in sites as diverse as Catawba county in the foothills and Rodanthe on the Outer Banks. So I am going to hope for good results here. If I get them we'll likely spot them between November and January. The waiting game begins!