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Monday, March 30, 2009

Bird Photography Weekly #31 - White-breasted Nuthatch

This week for BPW I'm going back to the peanut feeder for some photos of the white-breasted nuthatch. White-breasted nuthatches can be found in or around woodland areas throughout much of the United States. They are often seen climbing up trees like woodpeckers, but are better known for their ability to climb down trees head-first.

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They will cache seeds and small nuts in trees by wedging them between the bark for later consumption.

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Like chickadees and titmice, nuthatches nest in tree cavities and are often seen foraging with both species in winter. I've been fortunate to have all three species at my feeders this winter.

Below is a neat photo BirdCam captured of a white-breasted nuthatch trying to get his meal while I was in the background mowing the grass.

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And for another fun photo check out this red-bellied woodpecker (left) surprise the nuthatch (right). Who knows which bird was more surprised. I think the birds in motion give the photo a neat effect. Click any of the photos to enlarge.

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These photos where taken by my Wingscapes BirdCam.

Have a good week everyone!

 

14 comments:

Unknown said...

WE too have have these birds this winter!

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Alan, that camera with the motion sensor is really fun. You get some great photos!

Kim said...

Wonderful pictures. The last one is fantastic!

Jan said...

I NEED (not just 'want'!) a BirdCam!! I don't know a thing about them; I'll click on your link to see if you have more info...all I can say is, wow! I have all 3 of the birds too...they come by every day...especially in the winter, but they're here now as well. A tufted titmouse made a nest in one of my bluebird boxes last yr. I didn't know they live in cavities in trees...Lots of great info you provided, as well!!

Larry Jordan said...

Super shots of the White-breasted Nuthatch Alan! I love that last one showing the underside of the nuthatch and the crazy psychedelic woodpecker!

Bob Kaufman said...

Grerat birdcam shots, Alan! The woodpecker/nuthatch encounter is so funny.

MaineBirder said...

Excellent Nuthatch photos! Those peanut feeders are a hit here too.

Dawn Fine said...

That last in motion photo is very cool.

mick said...

Great photos from the birdcam - I especially like the one with you on the lawnmower in the background. The birds must be really tame to just ignore the noise.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

We get the red-breasted nuthatches here. They are fun to watch! I like your surprise picture.

The Zen Birdfeeder said...

I love the last photo. First, I've always thought that the white-breasted has a cool undertail coloration and this photo shows it well.
Here's the explanation (from Birdcam developer Bart Stephens) for the red-bellied swirls:
This is a optical aberration that can occur with digital cameras. In this case, the 'speed' is slower because the scene is shaded,...less available light. A digital camera chip renders pixels one line at a time. The wings are moving much faster than the head and feet, by the time the chip has drawn the top lines, the wing has moved. This would translate as 'blur' on film. On digital,...it is more like 'sharp blur.'

Kyle said...

Great captures, Alan! I've never seen a nuthatch outside of pictures -- beautiful birds, but I never realized how big they were until I saw that shot of the nuthatch and the woodpecker. They appear to be the same size? (Wonderful shot, by the way! I agree that the movement captured in that image really make it stand out.)

Great BPW post!

Wendy said...

Great post. I've seen Red-breated, but not White-breasted. My day will come. I'm sure. Thanks for the great photos.

Tennessee Nursery said...

How Amazing photos I like these birds pictures and I really inspired by your post.
Thank you for sharing with us.