This little white breasted nuthatch has opened a sunflower seed and is probably looking for a place to hide it. Here's a bit of info from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
"White-breasted Nuthatches forage up, down, and sideways over tree trunks and around large branches. They often (though not always) start high in trees and move down them head first, pausing to crane their necks up and back, toward the horizontal, for a look around. They probe into bark crevices or chip away at wood to find food. When they find large nuts and seeds, they jam them into the bark and hammer them open. White-breasted Nuthatches often store seeds and insects one at a time, and somewhat haphazardly, under loose bark on their territory. They typically hide the food by covering it with a piece of bark, lichen, moss, or snow."
Well, aren't they clever little birds! Quite interesting reading. I know we have them around here - I've just never been able to get a shot of one. Very nice job on your shot.
Wonderful shot of this cute little ball of fluff. Fascinating info on the habits of the nuthatch. Like squirrels, I wonder if they actually remember where they hid their food stash.
They are so stunning with that solid gray feathered back. My friends hates these guys...they "chip away" at her house. haha! They do not seem to do that here, but I do see them going down the trees all the time.
