Tiny Visitors

Red-breasted Nuthatch (c) 2012 High Virginia Images

Many of those throughout the state have been visited by a Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) this year. They have been moving southward since early fall. This small nuthatch is a bird of the highest elevations of the east, the Rocky Mountain region, northern US and southern Canada. It is much smaller than the common White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), which is found pretty much nation-wide.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch can be found as far south as the Gulf Coast during the winter season. It can be seen in a location near you.