If you’ve ever seen a small grey and white bird creeping down the side of a tree headfirst in search of food, you’ve probably spotted a white-breasted Nuthatch.
I photographed this one sneaking down a tree trunk at the Caroll Johnson Environmental Park in Fuquay Varina.
These little birds are quite common here in central North Carolina.
They are frequently spotted in both the backyards and backwoods of deciduous forests.
True to its name the white-breasted Nuthatch gathers nuts and seeds. Jamming their finds into tree bark, a nuthatch can then leverage its long bill to break or “hatch” the food open.
Photo by @sally_siko .