White-breasted Nuthatch

I felt like it was time; my hands are getting stronger.  So I got out my trustworthy old Nikon with its zoom lens and had it ready by the window.  As luck would have it, a few minutes later a White-breasted Nuthatch flew in to our feeder, one of the first interesting birds in a month.  Then it hopped over to the suet feeder right outside the window, and I was ready.

Of course it dashed off in a flash of wings to a tree before I knew it, and headed up the trunk - up and up and up.  But I followed it and got a few distant pictures.  I was pleased that I could hold the heavy (to me) camera steady with both hands.

Then I spotted another flash of white out of the corner of my eye, and soon found a second bird.  They;re probably travelling as a pair; this is typical for these nuthatches all year long.  Up the trunk and then down the trunk they explored for tidbits of food.

For several moments one sat still on a branch, apparently just resting.  From this angle you can clearly see why it's labelled the 'White-breasted' Nuthatch!  In my experience these nuthatches usually travel with a small band of Chickadees during the winter, but I saw no Chickadees this morning.

Once, very briefly, I captured them in the same shot.

And this is the very first shot I took while the nuthatch was on the suet feeder.  One of those pictures shot against white snow that left the bird a dark shape, so I lightened this significantly, turning the snow bluish.  I also cropped all of these a little and one heavily, but with the Nikon the focus is good enough to allow for that.  I'm pleased to be able to get these pictures at all!

**************

Steady fairly heavy snow here today, though it's only up to 3 or 4 inches yet.  We're expecting a good deal more by tonight.  One of the heaviest bands on the radar is just getting to us.  I think we should be thanking Texas or someone for this!

Great pictures of the snow that hit Newfoundland on the Weather Network.  Drifts 6-8 feet deep, sidewalks just a canyon through the snow - one for the history books!