Where is my Red-breasted Nuthatch?
Red-breasted Nuthatch
I find myself accustom to certain species of birds being at my feeders and take pride in finding them each day. Many of these birds are my neighbors that live here year-round and I know that because they have bands placed on their legs. One of these regulars was a family of Red-breasted Nuthatches that I could always rely on squeaking its way to the sunflower seeds.
Watching the birds with Phoebe!
Sometimes the obvious is overlooked and this is exactly what happened to me. The past few weeks I noticed the lack of Red-breasted Nuthatches and so I wanted to prove myself wrong!! The cats spent most of the time looking outside the windows (doing their own great backyard bird count) and they officially “prrrrrred” to me that they have not seen any Red-breasted Nuthatches flittering around the yard! Uggggg, where could these guys have gone???? Now this is when I start wondering . . . . “when was the last time I seen any????” I know I had seen them around last summer!
Red-breasted Nuthatch with a seed!
I don’t think I have ever lived in this house and not seen any Red-breasted Nuthatches visiting the bird feeders. I live in prime Red-breasted Nuthatch habitat . . . . . I am very saddened by their disappearance and hope they are on a family vacation visiting their cousins the Brown-headed Nuthatch down South!!!
Red-breasted Nuthatch at the Suet feeder!
It better not have been that Coopers Hawk that I have seen around!!!
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We haven’t had any in several years and this winter no white-breasted either!
23 February 2009 at 8:03 pm
Sweet faced little clown-birds!
23 February 2009 at 8:12 pm
Tom, seems like more and more red breasted nuthatches show up in Ohio during winter, although I haven’t seen any this winter either. I’ve been preoccupied with other things though. No baby yet, much to the chagrin of Megan.
Tom
23 February 2009 at 8:39 pm
These are quite good. Nice job.
23 February 2009 at 8:45 pm
Oh boy – I sure hope it wasn’t that Cooper’s hawk! Your RBNH pictures are just outstanding! Wow – I feel your pain, Tom! Hope you see them soon and if you do – please post!
23 February 2009 at 9:10 pm
I’m in love with the first photo – incredible detail.
23 February 2009 at 9:15 pm
I have not seen any either and look for them everywhere I go. I have not even gotten the regular nuthatches at my feeder since November.
I have a cat named Phoebe too! Great name named after my favorite bird song!
23 February 2009 at 9:21 pm
Hi Tom,
Your pictures are amazing and your blog is great thank you!
23 February 2009 at 9:48 pm
Serious question…do you think a Cooper’s would pursue a nuthatch? There are so many other meatier birds around.
I’ve been missing the white-breasted nuthatches since last spring. And not too long ago I had a half dozen brown headeds. Now I see only one occasionally.
23 February 2009 at 9:58 pm
I sure hope the hawk didn’t get them.
23 February 2009 at 10:02 pm
I do understand! I have four White Breasted right now coming to the feeders. The Red-breasted have not been here since November.
I hope you see the Red-breasted Nuthatches soon.
They are so cute!
Sherry
23 February 2009 at 10:37 pm
I have two that have been in my yard for 2 winters now. They sit on the deck fence and wait for me to fill the peanut feeder and put out sunflower seeds for them in the morning. I have been so close to having them eat out of my hand.
23 February 2009 at 10:57 pm
Great close-up of a Red-breasted Nuthatch. I have only seen one once, from a distance. Calm cat you have, surveying the birds. Mine used to be quite vocal when watching birds. I am guessing that the bird in the cat picture is not a RbNh .
24 February 2009 at 12:17 am
Maybe they don’t need to come to your feeder this winter. Perhaps they have a plentiful food source of their own! That’s, at least, what I tell myself when I’m missing birds.
24 February 2009 at 5:42 am
You know Tom, I’ve not seen any here this year either. Hmmmm… I’ll have to ask the cousins here.
24 February 2009 at 6:45 am
Excellent pictures, and I love the one with Phoebe doing the bird count. Perhaps, Phoebe could have a conversation with your Cooper. The Cooper may be missing them also.
24 February 2009 at 12:14 pm
I actually had one at my feeder last year Tom, didn’t know what it was , thought is was a little White Breasted Nuthatch until a friend showed me the error in my thinking !!
24 February 2009 at 2:02 pm
I haven’t seen them down here, unfortunately. I haven’t even seen much of the brown headed nuthatches since Hurricane Gustav. A while ago it seemed they were working on a nest in a tree along our driveway again, but then they were just gone, again. Hopefully we’ll see them again soon, regardless. *sympathetic hug*
24 February 2009 at 2:11 pm
@ Threecollie – No WBNU’s also . . . ugg!
@ Lynne – he he he
@ Tom – Can’t wait to hear about you letting us know about the baby! Should be soon . . ya they are common birdies here!
@ iheartfilm – Thanks
@ Bird Girl – I hope not also! I hope they show up here soon also!
@ Wren – Thanks don’t you love the feathers around the eye?
@ Kallen – Really . . sorry ! Thanks and Phoebe is my princess! I need to post my cats on here more and more!
@ Patty – Awww. . .blush, thanks!
@ Mary – I think a Coopers would go after anything it could focus on . . . ! Would love to see one of the browns!
@ Linda – ditto
@ Sherry – Thanks and a new family needs to arrive or something!
@ Ruth – they are even cuter than those chickadees and they are very tame!
@ NatureShutterbug – thanks . . . They live at the window and they are vocal at times! The bird through the window is a White-breasted Nuthatch
@ kaholly – They lived right in my back yard . . . something happened! I just know it! They were some of my best customers at my feeders!
@ Jayn – let me know what the cousins say!
@ R Miller – thanks and my cats are always at the window! I will ask the kitties to straighten up the coopers!
@ Bernie – they are great and I can see why they are easily confused. Glad you had one for a while!
@ Lana – Lets hope and sorry about the disappearance from the Hurricane! That can’t be good!
24 February 2009 at 6:24 pm
What an interesting mystery, tom. I hope it is solved somewhat by a spring appearance. Please keep us posted. Stunning photos, as always.
24 February 2009 at 6:33 pm
I usually have a family every Winter that comes too-but this Winter I hadn’t seen them until last weekend! Hope yours return too!
24 February 2009 at 9:49 pm
Nuthatches are not as common as Great Tits or house sparrows here and make a nice difference. Hope to catch some in my lens this summer. As well as at least one chaffinch – these guys are sooo fast )
And I wish your red-breasted nutharches are back healthy and happy!
25 February 2009 at 3:27 am
That’s interesting–I’ve noticed more red-breasted nuthatches around my feeder near Lancaster–same with the white-breasted nuthatches, maybe they like my feeders better? 🙂
25 February 2009 at 4:25 pm
They must have headed west looking for more of an adventure.
25 February 2009 at 7:07 pm
Hi Mon@rch,
No red-breasted nuthatches at my backyard feeders this winter either (I’m consoling myself with watching common redpolls instead)
25 February 2009 at 8:31 pm
I see that Coopers Hawk go after anything that is a good opportunity at the time, I hope it wasn’t the case with this little guy. we’ll just say he is on vacation……..
2 March 2009 at 11:09 pm