Red-breasted nuthatches are really common here in Maine.
Even when I don’t see them I can hear their “tin horn” voices saying “yank, yank, yank, yank” as they walk the tops of pines and spruces looking for insects.
Sometimes in the morning a group of them meets up and the “yank yank yank” gives way to long, melodic conversations and murmurs. It sounds as if they’re telling stories over coffee. I wait for the punchline.
I had no idea they were such chatterboxes.
(photo by Chuck Tague)
AND they are here in PA also at least migrating down from the north…hope they will be a fall/winter visitor…love their “tin horn” call too…can’t miss it when you hear it…nothing else sounds like that…I had one here August 29th at the creek/pond. Watch your spruce cones for them also…it’s a good year for those around here too…Hope you are having fun Kate and not hurricane problems with rain…
It’s raining. We got really wet while hiking. Oh well.
We see a lot of these in Michigan as well. They love eating my black oil sunflower seed from my bird feeders and we enjoy listening to them as well. A good combination of bird feeders with black oil sunflower seed or a peanut mixed feed really attracts them. I get all my bird feeding supplies for my backyard birds at http://www.backyardbirdparadise.com/home.html. This place has everything!!!
Note: Mitchel Schilling is the owner of backyardbirdparadise.com in Adrian, Michigan.