Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
The Red-Breasted Nuthatch is fun to watch as it forages for seeds and insects, usually in conifers. It generally works its way down the tree with its head toward the ground as in the top left photo (the opposite of the Brown Creeper which climbs up the tree trunk as it forages). The individual on the left was observed at Lake Anza in Tilden Regional Park, CA, and on the right is the same bird perched and offering a different viewpoint. The one on the bottom was observed at my home on Nov. 3, 2012. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)