Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Steep Ravine, Stinson Beach, California, USA
October 2015
Member of the Nuthatch Family
§A Jar of Nuthatches§

{Etymology Corner} "Nuthatch" is a corruption of nuthack, which describes the unusual way these birds eat. They take a nut, wedge it into the softer bark of a tree, and then hack away at it with their beak, either driving it in to the bark for safekeeping or smashing it open.
 
~true bird fact~ Red-breasted Nuthatches booby-trap their nests, not unlike Kevin from Home Alone. They smear sticky sap or resin around the entrances to dissuade predators or competing birds, and they do this with simple tools, like tiny branches. Impressive work, guys!

Clever, but showboats too much
Falls in love easily
Surprisingly high-end tastes
Getting too old for this