Nutcracker

Plenty of birds will make quick trips to and from your feeder – too many for it to be eating them all – it is likely to be storing the seeds for later in the winter, by caching them in nearby trees.  Blue jays do this and so does this bird.

clinging to a screen on our porch

Meet Sitta carolinensis - The White-breasted Nuthatch.  The names is derived from the Middle English word 'nuthak' from the bird's habit of wedging nuts in the bark of a tree and using its beak to break-open the hull to extract the seed within.  

A common visitor to your backyard feeder - summertime fare is primarily insects and larvae and nuthatches are distinctive when searching for food as they descend tree trunks head-first and can hang upside-down beneath twigs and branches locating food that other birds overlook.

Identified by its black cap (gray if female) and a chestnut lower belly. The upper parts are pale blue-gray, and the face and underparts are white. Nuthatches have small tails and almost no neck, making them appear chubby in appearance.

As a casual winter feeder observer it is clear that this bird is inclined to  join mixed flocks of Juncos, Chickadees, Downy woodpeckers, Finches and Redpolls.  It is thought that the vigilance of many birds foraging together assists all of them in keeping an eye out for raptors.

A cavity nesting bird - breeding pairs are monogamous raising one brood per year.  Female builds the nest and both parents assist in feeding raising their young.

form monogamous pairs that remain together year-round from the time of courtship and establishment of a territory until one of the pair dies or disappears.

form monogamous pairs that remain together year-round from the time of courtship and establishment of a territory until one of the pair dies or disappears.

form monogamous pairs that remain together year-round from the time of courtship and establishment of a territory until one of the pair dies or disappears.