Birders talk about having a patch where they visit frequently throughout the seasons. Over time, they get to know it intimately and are aware of how and when to look for something unusual. My "patch" is where I feed birds. I also provide water which hugely adds to the attractiveness to wildlife although that is largely dependent on the amount of recent rain. By dint of spending so much time I find more unusual birds. Earlier in the year I had a Crossbill. Two weeks ago I heard a Nuthatch in the area but it wasn't until a couple of days ago that it decided to present itself in front of the camera. (Nuthatch is becoming more often seen but is still uncommon) It was raiding the seed feeder to find the Sunflowers and then taking them away for later storage. I fear that it may have moved on since I no longer hear it but, nevertheless it was a treat. |