more little Nuthatchies.....

And....a Downy....   Woodpecker, that is...

Just because they are so cute and I stood out in the cold to try for some closer-ups....

One little guy (or girl)  is pretty feisty and brave.  He just kind of peeps softly and stays right on the nut dispenser all the time I am there.  But, then... when I least expect it... he whizzes past my ear on his way to the Juniper tree.  Or to flit back to get my attention.  It is tough to get focused even with Auto Focus, and get a clear shot of him/her.... they flit back and forth to the lilacs and off to a big spruce across the street.... man, they're fast.

You can see them closer too if you like .. just click on the photo ....

This little guy comes to peck on the suet cage and then...kind of falls asleep or dozes for a bit....leaning further and further back...til almost a backbend... he is very flexible.  But, kind of strange...he stays on there til somebody bigger, like a Norther Flicker manages to get his attention and off he goes.  He even stays there while I shovel snow in the patio.  Weird. 

Nuthatches instead of idiot people

Nuthatches are soooo cute. ...   People in the news lately are not.

In fact they are total idiots and I am so sick of reading about them that I feel like the old buzzard joke.... you know the one..... Two of them sitting on the wires over a deserted road waiting for a car to come along and run over something so they can have lunch ..   Finally one says to his buddy...."I'm tired of this.... let's go kill something."That's about what I want to do.  Kill most of the stupid women who think sexual harassment is a look that to them appears to be a leer or a comment that they take as sexual misconduct..... arrrgghhh!@#$% .

GAG me with a BIG wooden spoon.  What the hell is going on?  Has the whole world gone nuts?  If something offends you women or you can't figure out a way to say 'NO' or 'SHUT UP'  or figure out some way to deal with reality and just carry on with life as the rest of us do  .... stay home babes....   it's actually a real world out here.   Get a grip willya?

'Nuff said... they are making my life hell at the moment... as are the other stupid women who are beating and starving their children....and locking them cages in the basement....   I'm so mad I could spit.  Who even wants to read the news anymore?

So, instead, because I haven't yet figured out a way to get rid of those last two miserable bitches I read about, who've totally ruined and injured some precious little kids .... I give you some cute nuthatches....

Red breasted ones at that.... even the males ..hahahhahah..... actually I am not sure which are males and which are females.  There must be some say to differentiate...but I don't know what it is.  Perhaps just the colouring is a bit more vibrant or something.  In which case these may be little ladies ...they seem a bit paler than some I've seen.  Stewart?  Do you know? ... Kenneth? .... any other birders out there? ..

Here is a Female Downy Woodpecker sharing with a Nuthatch.  They don't mind any bird on the other side except Sparrows.  They hop around and peck those and get rid of them.   The others all peck in harmony for some reason.

Head over to Stewart's blog and check out lots of beautiful birds.. or click on the link below.

Soft and Downy

Isn't she just?  Look, there are even lots of little feathers all around the base of her beak.  I don't know if those are what they term 'rictal bristles' or just some soft, downy feathers... either way I think they are cute.

This is a little lady Downy Woodpecker that comes to the suet cage for her favourite.  Peanut butter and bugs.  Suet cakes I buy at the bird feed shop.  They, and the Northern Flickers get on there and hang... literally ... sometimes it appears as though they are snoozing...but, sometimes, maybe they just refuse to get off and give anybody else a chance.

There is a "pecking order" too it seems.  If the little Downy is on there and a big ol' Northern Flicker shows up....well, the little one flies off for a bit.   But, she comes back... and so does her boyfriend... I've never seen it the other way around.  No Flickers leave if a little Downy shows up for grub.  Big Meanies.
Don't forget... click to make larger to see details if you like.

Waiting patiently for me to finish shovelling so she can come into the patio for her suet cage.  Not too nervous at all...unlike the big Flickers... who take off the instant I go out there.  They may be big meanies in the bird world...but, they are afraid of me.  Hah....

Here is one of the big Flickers...  all fluffed out so he looks even bigger.  It is -25C these days and they puff out their feathers to keep warm I guess.  And...below...... ...the little lady Downy so you can see the size difference.  Sorry they are a bit soft focus looking... almost fuzzy... they were taken with the venetian in the way...but, didn't want to scare them off so left it.

Linking up with Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday again... check them out by clicking on the photos below.

Wild Bird Wednesday

I was looking through my photos today wondering what I have that is interesting and that I haven't posted on WBW yet....

Lo and behold...I do have something cute and interesting.

A little Downy Woodpecker.  A lady .. there is no red on its head.... the males have a small patch of red on the back of the head.

She loves the suet feeder ...  and, every so often I do see a little man come too...but, more often than not..it is only her.  She jumps off right away if a big Northern Flicker shows up ...but, is quick to return when he goes away.

She has a look in the feeder ...decides where to peck and then goes to work.  I have some suet with bugs in it... they seem to like it quite a bit.

Every so often she leans waaaaay out to either have a rest..or to get a better look at things.  Maybe she has vision problems.. hahahaha...

And look at the last pic...she has a little crumb on her chest... so cute....


Click on any pic to enlarge and get a closer look ....

And..... please head over to Stewart's blog and check out Wild Bird Wednesday ... lots of neat birds and great photography to see over there.  Just click on the long legged guy in the pic below....