Every fall I hope and pray that a Red-breasted Nuthatch (or several!) will visit my yard and stay for the winter. They are one of my favorite birds to watch. Red-breasted Nuthatches are an irruptive species which means they will migrate to different areas each year depending on the food supply. I haven’t seen one since 2013 and that bird was only passing through.
These little acrobats can walk face-up or face-down on a tree trunk or hanging feeder. I’ve even watched one do somersaults before.
They are also very curious and quite fearless. More than once when I was outside filling the birdfeeder a Red-breasted Nuthatch landed on it before I was finished adding new seed. If there was any bird I thought I could coax to eat out of my hand it would be a Red-breasted Nuthatch (with a Chickadee in close second).
Recently someone spotted several Red-breasted Nuthatches at the UW-Arboretum, which is a little over 2 miles from our house. I’m hoping this is a good sign that I may finally get to see some these adorable little birds again.