Colleagues,
I've sent two earlier messages that did not make it to the listserve, but
I'll try again.
In the 19 years we'e lived here in Northern Suffolk, at the junction of the
Nansemond River and the James River, the activity of "lesser yank-yank" OKA
Red-breasted Nuthatch is unprecedented.
About two weeks ago, we had a sudden "invasion" of the species.
With four or five R-b's jostling at the two feeders, hustling each other
out of the way, and others back in the bushes pecking at their sunflower
seeds and others perched watching the feeders, we've guessed that perhaps
20 individuals are in our yard; Even 10 in our year would be unprecedented
for us.
Today, we have three nuthatches coming to the feeder. That happened once
before some years ago, but this is different: one can barely get one's eye
on a species through the bins before it is replaced by another individual
most often Red-breasted bumping away Red-breasted, but with a couple
White-breasted (they are with us year-round) or an infrequent Brown-headed
Nuthatch (always nearby but intermittent at feeder itself) causing a
shake-up in the feeding queue.
No siskins or Purple Finch yet {or Evening Grosbeak} but hope is eternal.
With best wishes.
DOM
--
David O. Matson
Suffolk, Virginia
