Johnny One-Note This is a Nuthatch [sp. Red-breasted]. It was Vicki’s grandmother’s favorite bird. Nanny called it “Johnny One-Note” because of its characteristic, repeated one-note nasally call. Every time we hear the species vocalizing we are reminded of this great lady. ~ Anecdote and Red-breasted Nuthatch capture, Johnny One-Note © Jerry L. Ferrara
A Standoff Looking like a couple of welterweight boxers in a pre-fight arena, a Red-breasted Nuthatch [left] and a Dark-eyed Junco [right] aggressively confront one another by threat posturing. For the moment it seemed a standoff. ~ Anecdote and Red-breasted Nuthatch/Dark-eyed Junco capture, A Standoff © Jerry L. Ferrara
Hoarders, Losers and Winners For years now, we’ve been watching the bird feeders from our back porch. The energy displayed by the participants has been and is huge, especially demonstrated by the chickadees and nuthatches. They’re here at a feeder one moment grabbing an offering and gone in an instant only to return way too soon to have feasted. Perhaps they are storing for a ‘rainy day’? But where? Mystery solved. I finally caught one of the little stinkers [Red-breasted Nuthatch] in the act of pilfering and storing a peanut in the fungal folds of a lichen. Through the brambles and the brushThere always seems to be a rushWith a peanut firm in towOff to store it I will goSome will say I hoard ‘enough’But losers they when times are tough ~ Anecdote, poem and Red-breasted Nuthatch capture, Hoarders, Losers and Winners © Jerry L. Ferrara
Johnny One-Note This is a Nuthatch [sp. Red-breasted]. It was Vicki’s grandmother’s favorite bird. Nanny called it “Johnny One-Note” because of its characteristic, repeated one-note nasally call. Every time we hear the species vocalizing we are reminded of this great lady. ~ Anecdote and Red-breasted Nuthatch capture, Johnny One-Note © Jerry L. Ferrara