Dec 7, 2009

Nature Notes: Birds

We had our first snowfall of the season this weekend, once again on Dec. 5th. Some record-keepers are saying this is the fifth year in a row on the 5th! The forecast started out as a mere inch but ended up putting egg all over the meteorologists' faces with a total of over six! Haha! Anyway, it sure puts everyone in the right frame of mind.
Coming home from a nice morning walk through the woods, we saw my fav little winter bird, the Nuthatch.
Actually FOUR all going "nyack, nyack, nyack" and chasing up and down the trees. They were so cute bopping all around the mature trees in the woods, like a bunch of schoolkids playing tag.

White-Breasted Nuthatch

At first, because of my declining eyesight (that ageing thing again. errg!), I couldn't be sure if they were Red-Breasted or White-Breasted 'Hatches. I had to depend on MeiWei to be my "eyes". She confirmed the red undersides, but I couldn't remember if the Whites had any red as well.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

So back home, I went straight to Cornell Lab's All About Birds site and found that Whites will be habitating deciduous woods (check!), and then I listened to the recorded calls and songs. They were definitely Whites.
Knowing now that Red prefer coniferous forests, I will be less inclined to make the same mistake. And now I know why I see them at the lake house!

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