I went Bolen a few days ago to look through the bird books and try to figure out what type of birds are nesting in my nearly-dead cherry tree this spring. This is the third such trip I've made and so far I've had no luck in determining the breed (is breed the right word?). Finally, in the most recent search, I found them.
I searched in three different British Columbia bird books and finally found a description and drawing that matched the teeny little fellows. They are called red-breasted nuthatches. I'm pretty confident this is the correct identification because the book mentioned that these birds nest in abandoned woodpecker nests and hollow trees, that the couples stick close together, and that their call is a nasal-sounding yna-yna-yna. All these things match what I've observed with our birds. Also, the photos match.
(Apologies for the quality of the photos. The birds and I had a battle of wills the other morning, and they won. I wasn't able to get close enough for really good resolution and proper light.)
We also have a pair of house sparrows nesting in our proper birdhouse. This birdhouse was left behind by the former owners of our place, and when we moved in, it was inhabited. We really enjoyed listening to the cheeps of the baby birds that first summer, and then, one morning, I got to watch one leave the nest for the first time.
The next year (last year), nobody nested in the house. I assumed our yard had become a hostile environment for birds because of Blackberry's constant patrolling. But we did have some woodpeckers high up in the nearly-dead cherry tree. So we thought maybe if we moved the house higher, it might be safer. But we forgot to move it and anyway, it doesn't matter, because these house sparrows are gutsy and thumb their beaks at meddlesome cats who hunt all day and never catch a thing.
But that may not last long; two spotted towhees, new to the neighbourhood and not cat-savvy, allowed Blackberry to get way too close this morning. I shouted a few times to alert them to her presence, but dudes, I can't always be there, so you'd better smarten up.
I was excited to see some new visitors to the feeders this weekend: three or four European starlings. These guys look plain black from a distance, but have gorgeous markings that are visible at a closer range. They visit several times a day, and are quickly decimating the feeders. That's okay, peanut butter and birdseed are cheap.
