----- Original Message ----- From: David & Gloria Patterson Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 4:56 PM To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [TN-Bird] White-breasted Nuthatch display February 27, 2003 Houston Lane, 35.02 N, 85.08 W, Chattanooga, TN A White-breasted Nuthatch presented a threat display for about 10 minutes this afternoon. It hung upside down from a short stub on a drilled branch suet feeder, with its wings fully extended like a fan open 200+ degrees, and its tail spread wide, very impressive. It turned its belly toward whatever bird approached the suet, mainly Downy Woodpeckers, but also Pine Warblers; they seemed impressed, and they did very little feeding while the Nuthatch was there. The Nuthatch did no feeding. We have plenty of Nuthatches all year, but I have never seen a display like this, just a bit of tail spreading in courtship. Bent doesn't mention threat displays. You know, I saw a WB Nuthatch doing the same sort of flashy display this past weekend. This bird employed the display to disperse any bird on the suet when it approached and then to keep interlopers away from the suet for maybe 5 minutes. Titmice, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, the wintering YB sapsucker and even the resident mocker respected this display and kept their distance. This nuthatch did feed, but spent at least as much time displaying as feeding. It would sway back and forth with fanned wings and tail and then turn to face an approaching bird, who would retreat. Marty DeHart Bon Aqua, TNGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958 =========================================================