Pelee Island Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | Sittelle à poitrine rousse

            Ron Pittaway's 2018-2019 Winter Finch Forecast for eastern Canada and eastern USA noted:

"RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: This nuthatch is irrupting south because conifer seed crops are poor to low in most of the eastern boreal forest."

As predicted, in the fall of 2018 Red-breasted Nuthatches departed the northern forests and headed to the USA. In spring 2019 they began the journey home, including a mass fallout on Pelee Island in early May.

At first it was endearing to see this cute little bird everywhere. On the island's north they covered the lighthouse at Lighthouse Point. We counted 56 on a one kilometre stretch of trail at Fish Point at the south end. As cold weather set in and the migration stalled out, we were a bit worried about how warblers would fare, but weren't especially concerned about this hardy northern bird. Our optimism was misplaced, as we came across more and more of them feeding on the forest floor and on the beaches - some barely able to fly. They were clearly having trouble finding food in the Carolinian Hardwood Forest.

A dead one on the trail to Fish Point was disheartening, and reports from another birder of finding the bodies of three more on the same path added to the sad picture. Doubtless some made it off the island, but it is certain that many didn't - a reminder of the natural perils small birds face on top of the myriad human threats.

Taken in: Canada / Ontario / Essex (show map)

Taken on: May 6, 2019

Tags:

Pelee

Pelee Island

Sitta canadensis

Sittelle à poitrine rousse

Lighthouse Point Provincial Park

Ontario

Canada

Bird

Nature

Wildlife

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

EF600mm f/4L IS III USM

+1.4x III

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Sets appears in: • Pelee Island

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Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, f/7.1, 1/1250 sec, 840mm, ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Lens:	EF600mm f/4L IS III USM +1.4x III
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1250)
Focal Length:	840mm
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 7.5 (Macintosh)
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