A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity The Bird Lovers Forum Red-breasted nuthatch

I've been trying to get this guy even longer than the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Finally, yesterday I succeeded. This winter is the first I've ever seen this bird.

I have seen and heard exactly ONE Red-Breasted Nuthatch in about 19 years of birding, about 15 years ago. I didn't get a real GOOD look at it but good enough to always be able to recognize one again. This must have been an invasion year for you of this bird. They usually don't migrate this far South in Winter.

I saw a Brown-Headed Nuthatch once on a hike (I don't remember where). Possibly on top of the Blue Ridge north of Roanoke, or perhaps on the crest of the Black Mountains near Mount Mitchell in North Carolina. I was walking through a pine woods at the time.

You were near Craggy Gardens at Asheville, NC., Terry! If you go there in August, the Blueberies are ripe and if you look at the gravel beneath your feet you will notice that each grain is a BB-sized Garnet crystal! AND, you are permitted to harvest the berries and the garnets! That area of North Carolina is one of the richest mineral and gemstone areas in the WORLD. The deposits there are worth BILLIONS of dollars! Emeralds, Rubies, Sapphires, Garnets, GOLD and Uranium are EVERYWHERE there. We have owned a cabin and 100 acres nearby there for 5 generations of my family. I have panned gold out of ALL the creeks there.

I want to go there in the spring also, to see the rhododendrons in bloom. I always forget about it till it's too late, but this year I have a reminder set for a month ahead of peak bloom to give me time to plan a trip!



Cool!! I have a gold pan!