Michael W. Potter continues his photo series the Birds of the Bow Valley as the fifth week looks at the juvenile red-breasted nuthatch – seen here at Bow Valley Provincial Park – which still has its yellow gape at the base of the bill.
These birds are adept at finding food, even in the winter, and are year-round residents despite their small size. Their long claws give them a good grip in maneuvering up and down trees – sideways, head-up or head-down – in search of insects and seeds.
Michael W. (Mike) Potter is a professional photographer specializing in birds. He is a former park interpreter in Banff National Park, and the author and photographer of eight books on hiking and natural history in the Canadian Rockies, distributed by Canmore-based Alpine Book Peddlers. Potter’s website is michaelwpotter.ca, which includes a link to his bird photographs on Flickr.
