Thursday, November 15, 2012

Funniest Bird Name

     It may interest the birders among us, and it could give the rest of you a chuckle, to hear that  a Red-Breasted Nuthatch has shown up at the feeders.  It's a swift little guy that makes even the chickadees look stodgy, and beautifully colored. 
     And on the off-chance that you find that a funny name, how about some of the others I'm including in today's report to Project Feeder Watch at Cornell -- two White-Breasted Nuthatches, a Flicker, and three Tufted Titmouse.  Titmouses?  Titmice?  Anyhow, three of 'em.

1 comment:

  1. Glad to hear that you're taking part in Project Feeder Watch, Edith. (My paperwork for it is here; I just haven't been able to make the time for a pair of observation days yet.)

    And I saw a Red-Breasted Nuthatch at my feeder last week. We don't get them every year. This may be a sign that it's going to be a big "irruption year," with species that usually winter further north venturing down in search of food.

    Finally, my non-birdwatching friends tease me about those bird names, too. Meg says that whenever I start going on about a Red-Breasted Nuthatch or whatever, I remind her of that woman in a James Thurber cartoon who comes into a drawing room shouting, "I come from haunts of coot and hern!"

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