birdfeeding | Red breasted nuthatch

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darkcedars posting in

birdfeeding

New bird ID this morning - red breasted nuthatch!

I didn't see it, but heard it very clearly and the phone picked it up. Also heard the sparrows, collared dove, robin, and cardinal in the short time I was outdoors. Has been very cold the last few days but today will get up to 40F.

A neighbor's cat (tom named Red) was waiting for me to refill the water dish this morning.

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From:

ysabetwordsmith

Nuthatches are entertaining feeder birds as they will turn upside-down to get at food. They love suet but will also take sunflower seeds, peanuts, or mealworms. If you have sparrows or starlings after your suet, you can get an upside-down feeder and the nuthatches will hang underneath just fine.

From:

darkcedars

I figured the suet was the reason - it's peanuts, walnuts mostly.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

They ought to like that. :D

I love how just putting out different types of food or styles of feeder can attract more bird species. Currently I have a thistle sock, a suet cage (used to be peanut butter suet, but lately we've only been able to get fat with stuff in it), and the songbird blend (mostly sunflower, safflower, and a few peanuts) goes in the hopper feeder, metal tray feeder, and fly-through feeder. I used to offer mixed seed but now that only comes with cracked corn, so I had to quit buying it because the corn clogged the feeders. :/

From:

darkcedars

I texted my parents about the new ID and now they need more birdfeeders too. :D They've just been feeding the same stuff for years (sunflower seeds, thistle).

From:

ysabetwordsmith

That's so exciting. :D It's wonderful to spread the ideas around so more folks can attract more different birds.

Sunflower seed, thistle seed, and suet will cover a majority of feeder birds.

From:

meowmensteen

So cool. Their call kind of reminds me of the Road Runner. Meep meep! I hear them more often than I see them. They're sneaky. Best bet is to look in the nearest conifer tree. They like pine more than leafy trees, but I also see them on telephone poles too.

From:

darkcedars

Oh really - I do have a large old cedar (well, juniper) in my yard. I'll have to look there when I hear it.

From:

pameladean

Oh, I love them. I've seen them at the visitor center of the Laurentian Divide Recreation Area in northern Minnesota, at bird feeders, but not further south. We get plenty of white-breasted nuthatches, but not the red ones.

P.