10.21.2007

What A Little Stinker

That's right, I called this adorable little red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) a stinker. And I meant it. This morning, as Treebeard and I patrolled the yard, this bird flew up, perched a mere five feet from us and posed everso nicely. So why didn't I get a killer shot of this co-operative little beast? Because...I didn't have my reading glasses so I couldn't see my viewfinder, plus I was looking into the sun. Bet that little bird just knew I was unprepared - the little stinker. Grrrr.

Probably wouldn't bother me so much if this wasn't one of my all-time favorite birds. We only see them certain years - we didn't have a single one last year. White-breasted nuthatches are frequent, year-round visitors and we have a few brown-headed nuthatches on a regular basis, but the red-breasted nuthatches are a treat. They are full of personality and quite chatty. So yeah, this one was a little stinker ;)

On another bird note: we had our first slate-colored juncoes in the yard this morning. (I saw one in the work swamp on 8 October.)
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2 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

We are lucky to have red-breasted nuthatches every winter here in Minnesota but this fall has brought a bumper crop! There are three of them chasing around my feeders, scolding each other right now. They are such cheeky little buggers!

swamp4me said...

Lynne,
We just love 'em. Three must be the lucky number because we saw three in our yard today, too.