Another Visitor About to Leave

As I checked my Bird Cam this evening, I had a close encounter with a Red Breasted Nuthatch.  They're wonderfully brave birds: it let me come within about two feet, watching me with enormous interest.  And such small creatures!   And it occurred to me that this could be my last look until next winter, or maybe not for a year or two, or three.  These nuthatches are irruptive and visit us only irregularly.  We can only realistically expect them for three times a decade.  I remember so vividly when they arrived this past fall, and I enjoyed watching their enormous energy in removing bits of food to caches in our natural area.  That seemed like only yesterday!  But summer is coming and the nuthatches must leave.  I hope the absence isn't a long one...

The Two Sack Problem

During the autumn I stopped by a local bird supply retailer and purchased a single 5# sack of halved peanuts for the nuthatches and other peanut lovers.  The clerk attempted the usual upsell, wondering if I might consider a larger quantity.  Why no, I explained to the astonished merchant, this should do for my entire winter needs.  I was truthful, but turned out to be wrong in the end.  I needed to obtain a second 5# sack a few weeks ago.  And that will definitely get me through the winter...because I only just opened that sack to carry me into March.  What happened?  my data were right assuming no industrious Red Breasted Nuthatches showed up.  This was a year for them and they have been very busy at the peanut feeder.  Well, I came close.  it may be only 7# or even 8# will get me to the Vernal Equinox.  Maybe I should have erred a little high...

Feeder #8: Basic Suet Basket

One of the least expensive feeders on the market is the basic suet basket.  It may be an entry level tool, but it's well worth keeping in the fleet.  I have two in active service at my north and southwest stations, and they are quite popular.  Suet moves briskly in each.  Many birds like this Red Breasted Nuthatch have no problems with a swinging perch.  And if the suet cake is a hot pepper product, the squirrels will stay away,  Admittedly this is not a great product for the longer tailed woodpeckers, but they will adapt if pressed.  Mine are used to a different model so the basket generally draws the smaller birds like Downy Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, and Eastern Bluebirds.  I definitely recommend these as part of a birdfeeding station.  They're cheap and do the job!

Very Industrious

Now that I have had a chance this winter to reacquaint myself with the habits of irruptive Red Breasted Nuthatches, I marvel at their immense industriousness.  Always with these birds it is a flurry of work extracting a piece of food and flying off to either eat or hoard.  And this will go on for a long period of time.  Here, the bird is working the lower end of a peanut piece feeder, and it made enough trips with pieces for me to snap off a lot of photos.  Of course, being an industrious species, the RBN is a tough subject for photography.  But they are a lot of fun to watch, especially on a holiday weekend when there's enough time to appreciate them! 

Aw Nuts.

Peanuts keep moving here at the land of Cary BirdCam, and it's almost time to replenish the stock, for I think, the third time this winter.  But it is a surprisingly small group of birds that have formed the moving crew.  From top of the month photography, I've observed all three of the winter nuthatches (Red Breasted, White Breasted, and Brown Headed), and the rest of the usual suspects (chickadees, titmice, wrens, and Downy Woodpeckers).  So far at least no others have stopped by except out of curiosity.  And blessed be, there are no squirrels in sight either.  Hence we have a relatively economical attractant for some of the most interesting small birds in the area!  Consider adding peanuts! but make sure they are squirrel-safe: two layers of steel might do the trick.  You won't regret the results!

A Little Aggressive

Our winter visitor Red Breasted Nuthatches moved in with both barrels blazing.  Today I watched with interest as one of the RBN's harrass a Carolina Chickadee at the peanut feeder.  The chickadee wasn't given a chance: the nuthatch chased it (or them?) out at every turn.  The birds don't understand that I will keep filling the feeders, so they take up a defensive position at good food sources.  It is merely here that the nuthatch is so much more aggressive as a rule.  And I have seen this same behavior with its larger cousin, the White Breasted Nuthatch.  So the chickadees need to step up their game if they want a bite of peanuts! 

A Welcome Irruption

This weekend brought a great, welcome surprise from the north.  It has been three years since we've seen a Red Breasted Nuthatch here.  But winter 2012-13 will be different, for I have seen one: briefly yesterday, and at greater length this morning.  The bird was working a sunflower seed feeder with great industry, flying in, grabbing a seed, flying to a nearby loblolly pine, and beating the seat open.  And then repeating the process over and over.  It was enough time to study the bird with binoculars and confirm all the field marks.  It was not a big surprise to my naturalist associate who informed me this is a big year for RBNs in the Piedmont.  For whatever reasons the irruption here has been strong.  It will be a thrill to see three nuthatch species for the winter!