White-breasted Nuthatches on a Beech Tree by Robert Bateman

White-breasted Nuthatches on a Beech Tree by Robert Bateman

 

Published in 1985

 

"This little 'upside-down' bird is a favorite of everyone who knows him. He is constantly checking all the cracks and crevices of tree trunks and branches. He makes use of every possible body angle to reach those hard to get at places. He seems to never rest. I don't recall seeing a nuthatch in repose. I like his looks. You could say that he is nattily attiired. He is almost formal with his black cap, gray back and crisply marked wings and tail, but his fluffy little rust-colored bottom gives him a zany touch more appropriate to his character. His nasal 'yank-yank' call also fits the zany image." - R. Bateman