A Brown-headed Nuthatch in Texas (Gladewater Lake, TX)

May 22, 2024

Shasta and I were in east Texas chatting outside of our friend Mark’s cabin near Gladewater Lake. Mark mentioned he had nesting Brown-headed Nuthatches, and that a female had returned this year. Shasta inquired, “a Brown-headed Nuthatch?” I leaned over and whispered, “he means White-breasted Nuthatch.”

It sounded like a fake name—Brown-headed Nuthatch. I consider myself an alright birder, and my friend Shasta is outstanding. It seemed unlikely that between the two of us, neither had ever heard of it. No way.

Our friend defended his claim. “No, it’s a Brown-headed Nuthatch!” Shasta investigated via the Merlin app. Sure as shit, there it was. The Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sitta pusilla, local to east Texas and Oklahoma, and throughout the South. A “tiny, compact nuthatch… zigzags up and down tree trunks and branches high in the canopy, squeaking like a rubber duck as it goes.”

I was overcome by an amalgam of embarrassment and excitement. I felt like a jackass, but simultaneously, a familiar, instantaneous panic ensued. I grabbed the nearest pair of binoculars and speed-walked over to the nest box. We watched for a few minutes before returning to work. Then, I came back with my camera a couple of days later.

With that, I’ll close. The Brown-headed Nuthatch, all the way from east Texas.