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Below are images of a pair of birds called the Red-breasted Nuthatch. They are nesting near my house in a tract of land that is mostly undeveloped, for now anyway. I am called every morning to go and photograph them. They are methodical, but I try to see them in a different light every day. While observing these birds, other things happen, like talking with neighbors who come by. You meet the nicest people in the woods! That is how I came about the moose. I have also seen in the area several species of birds I have not photographed well and hope to post images of them if I get them. Keep checking back to see the progress, especially when the chick(s) are old enough to poke their head(s) out of the hole. Newest images will be at the top. Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Thanks for looking.
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Tom Davenport
| 6-11-07 - Monday
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I guess those adults were on the ball because after spending
an hour and a half at the nest this morning it appears that the chicks
fledged. They are gone, there is almost nothing going on out there.
Almost because I thought i was hearing a thump-thump-thump coming from the woods. I figured it was a wood pecker and finally saw the red top knot bobbing up and down through the trees. It was a Pileated Woodpecker, couldn't tell if it was a male or female. As it was thumping this old tree to saw dust something else caught my eye. This doe was strolling by. I was hopeful for a fawn or two.
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I saw some more movement from the direction she came and
thought Oh Boy! Turned out to be two wary young bucks, no fawns.
They hung around for a while but then a crow flew over and they were gone,
just like the nuthatch family I guess.
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| 6-9-07 - Saturday
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I Well, the nuthatch adults are finally trying to lure the chicks out of the nest. I'm guessing in a week the chicks will fledge. This morning I heard the ch-cks calling. They have almost got the call down, Yank-Yank-Yank, but their call is more like xanks- xanks- xanks, if you can imagine that. The next few days are going to be interesting at the nuthatch nest. |
| 6-6-07
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It has been raining here, a lot. Three days ago the
temperature was 93. The high today will be 58 they said. Whew! Anyway the
rain has kept me away from the nuthatch nest so went back this morning to
see if they are still there and, they are.
I have seen this bird out there but was not sure of what it was. I am mostly sure now, but not totally sure. He had a nice song though. I didn't see the spider's web when I shot this picture, its kind of an added bonus. On the subject of spiders, I have always seen spiders as the ones you see in the house, or tarantulas, larger spiders that you can easily see. But in watching these tiny birds bring bugs to their nests I have realized there are tons of pencil eraser sized spiders out in the woods. Like the one that made this web I suppose.
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In our backyard we have a Mountain Chickadee nesting in a
box I made. Here is another that must have a nest near the nuthatch nest
because I see it often.
It's funny, when you aren't looking for birds, these two look exactly alike, but when you are wanting to really see the birds, they are quite different.
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6-4-07
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This morning I pushed the nuthatch a little, setting up a
camera on a tripod, with a wide angle lens. They didn't quite know what to
think about that 72mm front element. It is about 3 times the size of the
hole and I'm sure they saw their reflection. Eventually they came around
and accepted it. At first they were on stealth mode flying from very far
away directly into the nest. One eventually decided that the camera was OK
and even perched on a nearby snag to check out the situation, meaning the
camera with me futzing with it not 18 inches from the bird.
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6-3-07
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This Black-headed Grosbeak is nesting in the area. I have
seen him several times. I didn't know how well this bird can sing. Nothing
like its cousin the Evening Grosbeak. He has quite the repertoire.
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The Black-headed Grosbeak again, peaking through the bushes at me. He is not very sociable. At all. |
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There might be a pair of Pileated woodpecker nesting in the area. Well, there ARE a pair nesting in the area, but where, who knows? I heard what I think is a young bird learning to call. The Pileated's call sounds like the beginning of the song "Wipe Out". Think about it. Anyway, a male flew right over me this morning, then I saw this female on a snag. These are really cool birds, and big, too. |
| 6-2-07
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A few years ago I watched as a Pileated Woodpecker licked its way around the nest cavity hole. I have noticed the Red-breasted Nuthatch pick at the sap. I think it is picking bugs out of it the same as the woodpecker was doing. |
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I am scared silly of creepy crawly things. That category includes flying insects, especially when they land on me. But for some reason, If I am interested in what they are doing, they don't even bother me. For example, there seemed to be a larger number of bees out today. Normally I run like a whipped dog when a bee is around but this morning they just seemed different to me. |
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| 6-1-07
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Lift Off. |
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Momma Moose again. She seems to be more grumpy than the first time I saw her. |
| 5-31-07
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The white thingy in the nuthatch's mouth is a fecal sack. The adults clean up after the chick(s), taking the fecal sack far away. |
| 5-30-07
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Just one of the reasons I like the nuthatch; they eat wasps! |
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This is a Pine Siskin that came by one day. Around 2001, we had more Pine Siskins that any other bird at my house. We rarely see them anymore. |
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| 5-27-07
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This is one of two calf moose in the woods. Please be careful around moose, momma moose will not always be very tolerant and can stomp you to death. Literally. |
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This is the first I saw of Momma Moose. She was very tolerant this day. |
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The Red-Breasted Nuthatch is a cavity nester. They will line the entrance of their nest cavity with sap. This might be to discourage predators, or to snare small bugs, or both. You can always tell when they are around by their distinct call, yank yank yank.
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