Hello, tweeters.

I'm sitting in my "office" typing away, and I see a movement out of
the corner of my eye. I look up, and there is a Red-breasted Nuthatch
hitching up the bricks bordering the window. It started pecking in
the corner produced by the bricks and the window and apparently found
something of interest. I've had Black-capped Chickadees many times
come to the window and cling to the bricks to do the same, but never
a nuthatch before. I haven't put any food for them outside the
window, but I'm sure there are small insects in the crevices.

What was interesting was that as soon as the nuthatch started
pecking, a chickadee immediately flew up and hovered in front of the
window, right next to the other bird, obviously checking out what it
was doing. It remained unfazed by the chickadee, then another
nuthatch appeared on the bricks a foot away and watched the first
nuthatch, meanwhile the chickadee still hanging around. I didn't move
a muscle, as they were all a few feet from me. Then a House Finch
came and hovered briefly about a foot out from the window, scaring
the nuthatch, but it came back immediately. After another departure,
it returned for a few seconds, checked out another few bricks, then
flew away. I have never seen such a beautiful example of birds
obviously observing each other closely while foraging and immediately
checking out a bird that has found something. This must happen
constantly out in the woods, as well as at our feeders. I should add
that there are feeders 15 feet from the window, so birds are coming
to the area all day long.
-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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