Nut

Day 83: Something of an oddity at my house, Nut always surprises me when he shows up, and even moreso when he does it in winter. I've been seeing Red-breasted Nuthatches more often since the Chickadees began coming to the feeders a few years ago, but never more than two or three at a time. This acrobatic visitor seems to be a solo, and he much prefers suet to seed, although he'll accept the latter in a pinch. He doesn't mind sharing with the Juncos or the 'Dee-dees, but his tolerance for Siskins is rather low. It must be mentioned here that for their size, Siskins can be quite intimidating when they stand up to larger birds. Even the Varied Thrush gives them a wide berth, not wanting to be pecked with those needle-sharp little beaks. Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) are known to associate with Chickadees and sometimes loot their nests for feathers with which to pad their own constructions. They also are known to hang out with Kinglets, as do Chickadee species.