{"id":61203,"date":"2019-11-04T06:09:55","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T13:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=61203"},"modified":"2025-11-04T06:49:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T12:49:20","slug":"how-being-an-army-brat-netted-me-these-red-breasted-nuthatch-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/11\/04\/how-being-an-army-brat-netted-me-these-red-breasted-nuthatch-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"How Being An Army Brat Netted Me These Red-breasted Nuthatch Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Nuthatch checking out a Douglas Fir cone \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m an Army Brat and once an Army Brat always an Army Brat<\/span><\/a>. What does that mean exactly? That meant I was always moving to new locations as a young child and teen.<\/p>\n

Like it or not PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders meant a move either across the country or to another country.<\/p>\n

I got used to seeing new horizons and eventually that became a need or a deep seated desire to see new areas to experience new views and to go back to places that I felt deserved more exploration.<\/p>\n

I grew up not liking routines because if I ever got set into a routine it was about that time another move happened and my routine became worthless.<\/p>\n

For a time I was also an Army wife which meant more moves and more places to explore. I learned to be spontaneous, to roll with the punches, to be adaptable, to look forward to new locations, and to not get stuck in ruts.<\/p>\n

I despise ruts. They are restrictive.<\/p>\n

Last year in November I felt like I was in a photographic rut so I took a chance on exploring a canyon I had been to before.<\/p>\n

I had never really spent the time exploring it the way I felt it needed to be. So I went into the canyon, drove slowly, and once I reached the point where I couldn’t go any further I used my “sit, wait, listen, and watch” approach to locating birds and it paid off.<\/p>\n

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Nuthatch high up in a fir \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As I sat there I saw and heard Red-breasted Nuthatches moving around in large Douglas Fir trees in the area. Even though that day I didn’t get the photos I wanted of them getting out of a rut helped me get these photos and the photos I took of Red-breasted Nuthatches last year.<\/p>\n

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Nuthatch trying to swallow a seed \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Carefully checking out that canyon also has given me the opportunity to add other new species to my portfolios.<\/p>\n

It was seeing those nuthatches in the Douglas Firs that made me realize that I had been missing out on photographing a bounty of forest birds.<\/p>\n

\"EyeEye level Red-breasted Nuthatch \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Now I love to check out that canyon whenever I can. Some days the bird activity is slow but other days I have come home with hundreds of images.<\/p>\n

I was there yesterday and I only took 3 photos but I also know that today or tomorrow there could be so much bird activity that I could easily take a thousand images or more.<\/p>\n

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Nuthatch hanging upside down with a seed in its bill \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 500, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The weather, the hunger of the birds, how quickly the seeds of the cones ripen and the time of the day all factor into just how much bird activity there is. For instance, if the birds had a really cold night to endure they might be more active first thing in the morning to acquire the calories they need to stay warm.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Red-breasted Nuthatch with a Douglas Fir seed \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

On other mornings they might wait until the sun has risen and warmed up the air around them before they get busy and forage for food.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Red-breasted Nuthatch in a Douglas Fir tree \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

If I hadn’t decided to get out of a rut and check out the birds in a canyon I had only been to a few times before I would have never have known just how birdy it actually is and I wouldn’t have these Red-breasted Nuthatch photos to share today.<\/p>\n

I proudly credit being an Army Brat, me, on discovering a great location to photograph these Red-breasted Nuthatches and other woodland birds.<\/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 on this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I proudly credit being an Army Brat on discovering a great location to photograph these Red-breasted Nuthatches and other woodland birds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":152307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,3700,1316,358,26,1314],"tags":[9811,7708,6879,6877,7934,4070,5370,6454,4062,4927,4928,6878,3701,7706,2135,3702,5549,2214],"class_list":["post-61203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-red-breasted-nuthatches","category-stansbury-mountains-utah","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","tag-army-brat","tag-cone","tag-cones","tag-douglas-fir","tag-eye-level","tag-female","tag-forest","tag-hanging","tag-male","tag-nuthatch","tag-nuthatches","tag-pseudotsuga-menziesii","tag-red-breasted-nuthatch","tag-rocky-mountain-douglas-fir","tag-seeds","tag-sitta-canadensis","tag-swallowing","tag-upside-down"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-mia-mcpherson-6821.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fV9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54951,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-foraging-in-a-douglas-fir\/","url_meta":{"origin":61203,"position":0},"title":"Red-breasted Nuthatch Foraging In A Douglas Fir","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"For a few seconds yesterday morning I was thrilled to have a Red-breasted Nuthatch foraging on a Douglas Fir cone in my viewfinder directly in front of me.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Nuthatch hanging onto a Douglas Fir cone, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-mia-mcpherson-6994.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-mia-mcpherson-6994.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-mia-mcpherson-6994.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-mia-mcpherson-6994.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74422,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/06\/photographing-red-breasted-nuthatches-isnt-easy\/","url_meta":{"origin":61203,"position":1},"title":"Photographing Red-breasted Nuthatches Isn’t Easy","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Red-breasted Nuthatches aren't easy to photograph because they are tiny, they move quickly and their flight patterns are fairly unpredictable. Finding the right habitat, their habitat, can make it fun.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Nuthatch on a Douglas Fir bough, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-west-desert-mia-mcpherson-4059.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-west-desert-mia-mcpherson-4059.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-west-desert-mia-mcpherson-4059.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9647.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9647.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9647.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-breasted-nuthatch-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9647.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":96636,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/24\/my-growing-concerns-over-this-years-crop-of-douglas-fir-seeds-because-of-our-drought\/","url_meta":{"origin":61203,"position":3},"title":"My Growing Concerns Over This Years Crop Of Douglas Fir Seeds Because Of Our Drought","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"My trip out into the sky island mountains of the West Desert last week caused my concerns about this years crop of Douglas Fir seeds to grow.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Nuthatch checking out a Douglas Fir cone in autumn, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-cone-mia-mpherson-9635.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-cone-mia-mpherson-9635.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-cone-mia-mpherson-9635.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-douglas-fir-cone-mia-mpherson-9635.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":161892,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/10\/28\/red-breasted-nuthatch-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":61203,"position":4},"title":"Red-breasted Nuthatch Memories","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The weather has kept me out of the field lately, so today I wanted to share a few Red-breasted Nuthatch memories since I\u2019ve been seeing and hearing them recently.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Nuthatch foraging in the Stansbury Mountains of Utah, West Desert, Tooele County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7928.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7928.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7928.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-breasted-nuthatch-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7928.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":95701,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/27\/thoughts-on-our-drought-douglas-firs-and-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":61203,"position":5},"title":"Thoughts on Our Drought, Douglas Firs, And Birds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Drought stressed Douglas Fir trees will produce what is called a \"stress crop\" of cones which is what I believe is happening to the firs in this location.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Nuthatch clinging to a fir cone, West Desert, Tooele County, 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