{"id":23321,"date":"2015-05-08T05:18:50","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T11:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=23321"},"modified":"2024-12-15T04:45:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T10:45:23","slug":"red-breasted-nuthatch-in-the-targhee-national-forest-idaho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/05\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-in-the-targhee-national-forest-idaho\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-breasted Nuthatch in the Targhee National Forest, Idaho"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Nuthatch in the Targhee National Forest – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, DX mode, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m posting just a simple Red-breasted Nuthatch image today that I photographed earlier this week in the Targhee National Forest in eastern Idaho. This nuthatch and its mate hung around the sapsucker nesting tree and I loved hearing their calls<\/span><\/a> echoing in the aspens and conifers in the area.<\/p>\n

Both the male and female excavate nesting cavities but usually the female does more of the work. Red-breasted Nuthatches place sticky resin around the nesting cavities entrance, the male places it on the outside and the female on the inside. It is thought that the resin is placed there to keep out predators or competitors for the nesting cavity. This pair seemed intent on taking over the new nesting cavity that the male Williamson’s Sapsucker was excavating.<\/p>\n

Red-breasted Nuthatches are tiny at only 4.3 inches in length and weighing only 0.3-0.5 ounces.<\/p>\n

I’ll be interested to see if they will still be hanging around the aspen nesting cavity tree the next time I head up that way.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-breasted Nuthatch photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m posting just a simple Red-breasted Nuthatch image today that I photographed earlier this week in the Targhee National Forest in eastern Idaho.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2578,2244,3700,2261],"tags":[4004,4897,3720,14742,2580,4927,4928,4104,3701,3719,3702],"class_list":["post-23321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-clark-county","category-idaho","category-red-breasted-nuthatches","category-targhee-national-forest","tag-adult","tag-branch","tag-cavity-nesters","tag-montane-forest","tag-nesting-cavity","tag-nuthatch","tag-nuthatches","tag-perched","tag-red-breasted-nuthatch","tag-resin","tag-sitta-canadensis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-breasted-nuthatch-idaho-mia-mcpherson-6997.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-649","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36080,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/02\/22\/red-breasted-nuthatch-at-an-idaho-nesting-site\/","url_meta":{"origin":23321,"position":0},"title":"Red-breasted Nuthatch at an Idaho Nesting Site","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Seeing and photographing this Red-breasted Nuthatch was such a thrill for me that I want a repeat performance!","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling Red-breasted Nuthatch male, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-breasted-nuthatch-calling-mia-mcpherson-6011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-breasted-nuthatch-calling-mia-mcpherson-6011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-breasted Nuthatch checking out a nesting cavity, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-breasted-nuthatch-aspen-mia-mcpherson-5227.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-breasted-nuthatch-aspen-mia-mcpherson-5227.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-breasted-nuthatch-aspen-mia-mcpherson-5227.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-breasted-nuthatch-aspen-mia-mcpherson-5227.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46558,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/03\/sapsuckers-bluebirds-and-nuthatches-and-the-magical-sapsucker-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":23321,"position":3},"title":"Sapsuckers, Bluebirds and Nuthatches and the Magical Sapsucker Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Two years ago today I was in the Targhee National Forest of Clark County, Idaho photographing birds at what I called the \"Magical Sapsucker Tree\".","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Williamson's Sapsucker on a tree with three nesting cavities showing, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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