Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta Canadensis

Day 217: Nut (Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis) surprised me by being one of the earliest birds to show up on Global Big Day. He's usually rather shy and only puts in brief appearances, but in this case, he hung around (quite literally) on the suet feeder for minutes at a time. However, he was inclined to present the typical view of the species more often than not (kindly refer to the lower image), and was not being at all obliging with a portrait pose. During the day, he returned repeatedly, even when I was sitting out in the yard, so eventually I was able to capture an image which portrayed his field markings.

These delightful little creatures are cavity-nesters, and have the peculiar habit of collecting globs of conifer resin to smear around the periphery of their entryway. They have been observed to use bits of tree bark to spread the "spackle," but the purpose of this is unclear. Some think it is to deter larger predatory birds. Others suggest that it serves to prevent insects from entering the nest. Like Chickadees (for which they are sometimes mistaken), they may carry a particularly tough seed to a branch where they can insert it in a crack to be held while the bird pecks it open.

As a footnote to Nut's obliging personal appearance on Big Day, who should show up three days late to the party? The Northern Flicker was at the suet feeder yesterday.