One morning a few days ago I was a little surprised to find a Red-breasted Nuthatch in our backyard. Typically, I stop seeing them between late April and the first week of May, and return sometime late August to early September. Dane County is generally south of confirmed breeding sites for this species, but checking the Wisconsin Bird Breeding Atlas revealed that there are a few probable breeding areas here. A friend of mine once said he wouldn't be surprised if the Red-breasted Nuthatches were nesting somewhere very close to Waunakee...perhaps even in my neighborhood somewhere. If they were actually nesting in my backyard, I'm sure it wouldn't go undiscovered by me, right? Sneaky birds.
Red-breasted Nuthatch image © 2007 Mike McDowell