Yesterday, I was thrilled to have a female White-breasted Nuthatch in my viewfinder for about a minute. I really wish she would had stayed a little bit longer.
Female White-breasted Nuthatch on a wooden post – Canon R7, f8, 1/5000, ISO 2000, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
I’m always excited to focus on nuthatches, listen to their calls, and watch them move around on the trees and feeder. White-breasted Nuthatches are also quite striking because of their black-and-white plumage.
Around this time of year in Utah, I’d be heading to the sky island mountains of the West Desert to look for Red-breasted Nuthatches and check out their food source—the seeds of Douglas Firs. I’d photograph them until the roads were closed due to snow.
During the winter, I’d occasionally see them at my bird feeders.
Red-breasted Nuthatches are found in both Arkansas and Oklahoma, so hopefully I’ll see and photograph them again.
I just saw one last evening, my first for Arkansas!
White-breasted Nuthatch female hanging onto a wooden post – Canon R7, f8, 1/6400, ISO 2000, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
In the meantime, I’m having great fun photographing White-breasted Nuthatches, like this female. I love listening to their calls and seeing the flashes of black and white when they are on the wing. They are gorgeous.
Female White-breasted Nuthatch on a driftwood perch – Canon R7, f8, 1/2500, ISO 2000, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
This is the first time I am fairly certain I have photographed a female White-breasted Nuthatch. If I am mistaken, please let me know; I’d sincerely appreciate the correction.
Females have blue-gray crowns and napes, while males have black crowns and napes. To my eyes, the crown and nape of this nuthatch seemed more blue-gray than black.
Even though my time with this White-breasted Nuthatch was brief, I enjoyed every second.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see my White-breasted Nuthatch photos. I will be adding more when I have time.
Beautiful. I hope you see her and her relatives many more times.
That is sometimes a very subtle difference!
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/id