red-breasted nuthatch?

[storye_book]

The books say that nuthatches keep to the south, and measure a bit bigger than your usual tits/finches - but here in Harrogate I've had a nuthatch whose breast is almost as bright as a chaffinch, and his wife is yellow-breasted. They're smaller than the great tit. They've been regular visitors to the black sunflower feeder for two months. So is it a red-breasted nuthatch? And if so, is it resident, a visitor, passage migrant or aberration? There's a picture of it in the oddities section in my birdbook, but no explanation. Any comments?

[Rockin Robin]

Maybe it is not a nuthatch, here is a nuthatch :www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/n/nuthatch/index.asp (http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/n/nuthatch/index.asp)

[Shamal]

I'd look to a less exotic answer than a yank Nuthatch finding its way to the east coast. Bird books can be dangerous things, bit like medical encyclopaedias when you're ill.
Male eurasian Nuthatches do show deeper orange than the female, albeit more towards the legs than the actual breast.

Nuthatches are not known for wandering far, they're non migratory and tend to stay put even in severe conditions. Whilst they are more abundant towards the south of the british mainland, their presence in Harrogate wouldn't be anything too amazing.

[storye_book]

I'd look to a less exotic answer than a yank Nuthatch finding its way to the east coast. Bird books can be dangerous things, bit like medical encyclopaedias when you're ill.
Male eurasian Nuthatches do show deeper orange than the female, albeit more towards the legs than the actual breast.

Nuthatches are not known for wandering far, they're non migratory and tend to stay put even in severe conditions. Whilst they are more abundant towards the south of the british mainland, their presence in Harrogate wouldn't be anything too amazing.

hi shamal

yes i did solve the problem by going to our nearest rspb reserve and discussing it with them. they seemed to think it probably wasn't the canadensis and i respect that, although i have remained puzzled, because of the size and colour. the nuthatches are still there, though oddly their colours have seemed to gradually fade.

i would like to show you the birds, but i am unable to take photos of birds on feeders because they're close to the house, and the flash scares them - otherwise i would do so. we got a scope so as to digiscope them from a distance, but our cameras are not compatible, sadly. setting up an indoor hide would be difficult in a tiny cottage, and there is no curtain rail to hang a screen from.

anyway, thanks for your kind help in this matter.

[Gandalf]

"but i am unable to take photos of birds on feeders because they're close to the house, and the flash scares them -"

storye book: Switch-off the flash. If you are that close it is unneccessary any way.

[Emma]

Ditto what Gandalf says - I photograph our birds on a near-daily basis and have never used the flash. Of course, a dull day doesn't help with the quality of the photo (and nor does taking pics through a window!) - but a flash is not needed.

[Maisie]

I don't use the flash either, but unless there's good light outside I tend not to bother trying to photograph them through the window - there's just not enough light to take a decent photo, especially if I'm using the 500m lens.