red breasted nuthatch

Since we have been refilling the bird feeders

the yard is a bustle with activity.

Chickadees, american goldfinches, bluejays,

purple finches and the adorable little nuthatch.

The Nuthatch (sitta canadensis) has short legs with large back toes, a flat body and has a short tail all of which enable it to climb head downwards on tree trunks.

It is named "nut hatch" because it can tuck a nut into a bark crevice and hammer it open with its beak.

Its diet consists of seeds of conifers, insects and spiders, as well as the sunflower seeds that fill our feeders.

(information taken from Hinterland Who's Who, which has wonderfully informative bird fact sheets)