What's this!? An interloper in our feeder! The Bluebirds, female left and male right, have discovered the Nuthatch.
Caught with the goods! The Nuthatch has taken a defensive posture but isn't yet ready to give up the meal worm.
Take that, you thief! The battle is on and the Nuthatch is getting the worst of it.
Momma Bluebird looks on anxiously as the battle rages. All parties emerged with no more damage than ruffled feathers. The Nuthatch lost the battle, but he won the war. Mick reports that the Bluebirds departed for the south on Nov. 11. The Nuthatch will likely stay all winter and be able to enjoy the feeder, unmolested.
Mick also passed on pictures of this Red-breasted Nuthatch. We don't often see these birds in Madison County, but we now have at least one in two different parts of the county.
Here the Red-breasted Nuthatch explores a feeder while a House Finch with its red breast looks out through a window.
Our thanks to Mick Hardy for all the pictures on this page.