Hello Ontbirders. So a good 35 birders met up in Brantford this morning as
word got round about a Brown-headed Nuthatch that had been photographed by a
local resident in their front yard yesterday afternoon. I arrived in good
hopes seeing as the bird had been photographed!
After talking with the local couple all seemed good and the lot of us set out
searching while a few others continued arriving. After about 10 min. though I
went back to the house and asked the photographer if she'd show me the photo on
her camera. The photo was no longer on her camera she explained but she would
print it out for me. She came out with the photo about 20 min. later after I'd
looked around the park across the street with other birders. I waited for the
couple to leave with their dog - to a dog park. I then checked the photo up
against the tree that she said the bird was photographed in. Immediately I
realized that nothing matched. There was no hole, no dead wood material, a
blurry green leaf (?) in the background and a small, faint twig hung across
that had buds... spring buds... not the fall type on the maple out front...
After we all had a good look I believe that everyone there was in agreeance
with me... the photo was not taken in that tree.
So... was the photo taken from another tree? I don't think so given the
'spring fieldmarks' and given the photographer said it was in THAT tree.
The other possibility is the woman saw a bird in that tree, thought it was a
brown-headed nuthatch, found a photo online and used that. The couple under
question are NOT birdwatchers and I do not think that it is likely they would
have identified the birds correctly... there is a resident Downy Woodpecker in
that tree and a pair of White-breasted Nuthatchs in the area.
Google images - I have searched through this and cannot find a matching photo...
In conclusion... it looks like we've been had! What is most remarkable about
this situation is that the photographer actually TOLD US she took the photo. I
don't understand WHY she would do this?
At any rate we all left in pretty cheerful moods (surprisingly???).
Cheers,
Andrew Keaveney
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