What A Little Stinker

That's right, I called this adorable little red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) a stinker. And I meant it. This morning, as Treebeard and I patrolled the yard, this bird flew up, perched a mere five feet from us and posed everso nicely. So why didn't I get a killer shot of this co-operative little beast? Because...I didn't have my reading glasses so I couldn't see my viewfinder, plus I was looking into the sun. Bet that little bird just knew I was unprepared - the little stinker. Grrrr.

Probably wouldn't bother me so much if this wasn't one of my all-time favorite birds. We only see them certain years - we didn't have a single one last year. White-breasted nuthatches are frequent, year-round visitors and we have a few brown-headed nuthatches on a regular basis, but the red-breasted nuthatches are a treat. They are full of personality and quite chatty. So yeah, this one was a little stinker ;)

On another bird note: we had our first slate-colored juncoes in the yard this morning. (I saw one in the work swamp on 8 October.)