Nuthatches don't hate to eat and run

This Brown-headed Nuthatch has his seed and is headed for

 cover.

Nuthatches are fun little birds to watch. With their fat bodies, short tails and no neck, they have a cartoon-character look about them. They’re bundles of energy, scooting around tree trunks and branches looking for insects. And they're bold enough to fly in close to people. They often buzz me when I’m putting out food.

If you have suet and sunflower seed out, there's a good chance you'll get to see these entertaining little birds at work. Of course, they also like nuts. They'll also nibble on crunchy peanut butter.

Nuthatches, like titmice and chickadees, are grab-and-go eaters. Their thin bills aren't designed for crunching down on sunflower seeds. So they don't light at feeders for long, like the thicker-billed cardinals and finches. They zoom in to a feeder, grab a sunflower seed, take it up to a limb, put the seed between their little feet and peck out the good stuff. Seems like a long, involved process, I know. But in a day, a crowd of nuthatches can go through about as many sunflower seeds as a baseball player would during nine innings.

Most Americans have two types of nuthatches - Red-breasted and White-breasted. In the South, we have the Brown-headed Nuthatch, too.

Here's what I saw today:

(AM, sunny, 55 degrees, 30 minutes)

Northern Cardinal
Carolina Chickadee
Mourning Dove
House Finch
Northern Mockingbird
Carolina Wren
Brown-headed Nuthatch

Windows, as birds (don't) see them

A couple of wrens were chasing about my deck yesterday, and one hit my storm door. The bird wasn't hurt and flew off. This is not common in my yard, but it happens a couple of times a year. Most times the birds aren't hurt. If they fly in fast from a distance, sometimes they are stunned and fall to the deck. I have also seen a bird killed. The break room at my former workplace had a huge picture window. One day a flicker flew in hard, smacked the window and never came to.

               The instances of birds flying into windows are more common than you think, particularly in cities with skyscrapers that have a lot of window glass. The birds either see a reflection of sky or see past the glass to the light from another window and think there is a flight path. The number of bird deaths because of window glass rises during migration periods like now.
               In my yard, a bird will hit a window or storm door out of panic caused by a hawk or a rival. (Doves fly too fast for their own good, sometimes.) If you have a large window, it may happen just because the bird thinks it has a path to find cover. If a bird sees a reflection of a tree, it might be flying toward that.
               Reflection is a big factor. My brother's family had to deal with a cardinal that had regular war with the side-view mirror on the family car. The cardinal saw a rival in that mirror and continually attacked it. They ended up having to put a bag over the mirror to keep the cardinal safe!
This rare; matter of fact I had never heard of it. So I wouldn't worry about covering your side-view mirrors.
               However, there are things you can do to make things a little easier for your backyard buddies. What you are trying to do is make sure the bird knows there is some sort of barrier in front of it.

• One my favorites is to let the windows get dirty. Ha! That's just too easy. 
• You might try putting up blinds or curtains to block their view. I know, "So how am I supposed to watch birds?"
• Well, a sticker or two on the window can work. People with sliding-glass doors have these to keep their kids from running into them.
• Screens over windows help, too.
• Or try hanging ribbons or a flag in front of the window.

       There are some more-expensive measures to take, like installing shutters or special windows.
      Of course, if this doesn't happen in your yard, you probably shouldn't worry. Just go out to your feeder and look back toward your house to get a bird's point of view. If you see yourself, the reflection of a tree or something, or if you see through the window or door to light from another window or door on the other side of your home, the bird probably sees the same thing. Then there's a chance of an accident.

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OK, the last time I saw a hummingbird was on Sept. 17. I'll leave the feeder out longer, just in case a Rufous Hummingbird shows up. That's a long shot; I've never seen one here, but the Rufous has been reported in the vicinity during the winter.

 

Here's what I saw today:

(AM, sunny, 60 degrees, 20 minutes)

 
Blue Jay
Red-bellied Woodpecker
House Finch
Carolina Wren
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Mourning Dove                

Hummingbirds hanging out

I missed seeing hummingbirds for a couple of days, so I thought they had moved on. Then one showed up today. I couldn't tell if it was one of the two or three families that have been here this summer, but it had no competition, so it may have been passing through.

    Eight doves were in the yard the other day. That's more than normal around here, so I suspect they like the new seed mix I put out.
    Conspicuously absent for about a week or so have been sparrows of any sort. They may NOT like the seed mix, but I suspect a hawk problem. Sharp-shinned Hawks like sparrows.
    I have also missed seeing - or even hearing - any woodpeckers lately. Don't have a clue about that.
    Oh yes, the rabbit that likes to graze in the yard, now has a baby following along. It seems to be curious about the squirrels; today I saw it chase after one as if looking for a playmate. Its survival skills may be tested, since there are a couple of Red-tailed Hawks who patrol the neighborhood regularly.  

Here's what I saw today:

(AM, clear, 62 degrees, 30 mins)

 
Northern Cardinal
Mourning Dove
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Northern Mockingbird
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Brown Thrasher
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Carolina Wren