{"id":1094,"date":"2013-04-06T08:46:18","date_gmt":"2013-04-06T12:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=1094"},"modified":"2025-05-23T13:21:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T17:21:47","slug":"red-breasted-nuthatches-crabapple-nesting-toronto-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/red-breasted-nuthatches-crabapple-nesting-toronto-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Breasted Nuthatches Check Out Our Crabapple Tree for Nesting near Toronto Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"

All winter I have been trying to get a reasonable photo of a Red-breasted Nuthatch. There have been several quietly yonk-yonking their way around our neighbourhood. A few weeks ago, my family and I noticed that we would often find one or two either in our crabapple tree or on the tree beside it, especially in the early morning. We kept our eyes on the trees and our hands on the camera shutter button and waited.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

The Benefit of Leaving Dead Branches on Your Trees<\/h2>\n

As some of you may remember, we left part of a dead main branch on our crabapple tree because a Downy Woodpecker had drilled a nesting cavity in it. Since then, the Downy has moved out, and at least one family of chickadees has been raised in it<\/strong><\/a>. (There are actually three nest holes now in the same length of wood.) We have taken photos of one of the chickadee fledglings that we had to help back up into a tree for the night.<\/p>\n

During the winter, chickadees and other cavity-nesting birds sometimes seek shelter in the old nest holes. We\u2019ve found chickadees peeking out at us as the sun is coming up and we are trudging off to school. I\u2019ve envied them their shelter out of the wind.<\/p>\n

So despite the fact I\u2019m sure our neighbours would prefer us to prune the tree, we\u2019ve left the stump-like arm in place.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

This is probably the female, judging by the paler red and the greyer cap.<\/p>\n

Red-breasted Nuthatch Checks Out New Homes in Neighbourhood<\/h2>\n

Two days ago, we first noticed a Red-breasted Nuthatch checking out the nest holes. It popped in and out a few times, noticed us, and took off.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, my daughter and I watched from a good distance back as one bird popped in and out, bringing out small bits of wood. Another bird was extremely quietly calling (for a nuthatch) from the adjacent tree.)<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

This is probably the male as the cap is black. If you can fly, you don’t worry about hanging upside down 10 feet up in the air!<\/p>\n

And today, I finally got a photo of one of the Red-breasted Nuthatches with my D5100! It\u2019s not in perfect focus, but it\u2019s much closer than anything I\u2019ve managed to date. I\u2019ll try to take more photos but only if I can do so without spooking the birds. I\u2019d far rather they nested, and successfully raised a family, than that I got a good photo. I\u2019m not one of those people who ends up forcing parents to abandon a nest of chicks just to get a magazine-quality close-up.<\/p>\n

So you\u2019ll just have to take your glasses off so my photos look less fuzzy and enjoy knowing a small family of feisty Red Breasted Nuthatches may soon be hatched!<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

This is how I usually see Nuthatches if I have a camera.Don’t ask me how it’s staying in the air! Sheer willpower, probably.<\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n