Oh, how I love you, little Nuthatch!

 I love all the little birds that visit and live in my garden. Those of you who are long time readers know that the Tufted Titmouse is my favorite, and that the Chickadee was one of the first birds I could identify, but, you might not know that the agile little White-breasted Nuthatch is another favorite. They're quite cute with their clean black, gray, and white markings. I love watching them move about the garden. I see them clinging to the house bricks while waiting their turn at the feeder; climbing upside down a tree trunk searching for insects; grabbing a seed to hide in the bark of the nearest tree. They are busy little songbirds and yack as they search the garden for food.

White-breasted Nuthatches never migrate and there are always nesting pairs in my garden. In wilder places they might travel during the winter with small foraging bands of Chickadees and Titmice.  Scientists think that it increases their chances for finding food and keeps them safe with many  other birds watching for prey. They're active and noisy birds and love insects and meaty seeds. They will visit the sunflower and suet feeders all winter long, carrying the large seeds to nearby tree trunks to "hatch" them open with a whack from their sharp bills or to hide them for later use.

They love meaty Sunflower seeds

Habitat: They do not usually migrate, but, live in mature woods, deciduous forests, at woodland edges and in open areas with large trees (parks, wooded suburbs, and yards). 

From Audubon

Food: They will eat many kinds of insects and larvae, beetles, caterpillars (including gypsy moths and tent caterpillars), stinkbugs, and spiders. They also eat acorns, hawthorn and sunflower seeds. Load your feeders with sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, and peanut butter and they will happily visit.

Nesting: They typically build their nests in natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes.

Sitta carolinensis

Although, the Nuthatch's more characteristic pose is upside down with its head extended backwards, I love this photo of Sitta carolinensis sitting on a tree branch with it's feathers ruffled in the cold February wind.

Little birds work so hard to stay warm in winter; I'm glad my garden has plenty of places for them to roost on cold nights~evergreens, trees with nesting cavities and even empty birdhouses offer shelter from the cold weather.

Nuthatch is bottom up at the bird bath

Please don't forget to have water in the winter garden! Your birds will appreciate it.

xoxogail

For other posts on my little friends:
Tufted Titmouse
Garden Visitors 
Winter's For the Birds

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.