Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea
The Pygmy Nuthatch is a noisy, gregarious bird that we find in long needled coniferous forests of temperate North America. These birds travel in groups of extended family members, often the group size is six or more. Members of these extended families will help feed and raise the breeding pair’s offspring, defend territory, and feed brooding females. Pygmy Nuthatches roost in cavities with many dozens of other family members (even a hundred or more). More common are groups with about 15 members.
Most of my meetings with these birds have been in southern California mountains or in the eastern Sierra-Nevada Range. Arizona has also gifted me with encounters in both Flagstaff and in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. Another location where I enjoyed meeting this species was in the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana.
Some authorities recognise seven subspecies of Pygmy Nuthatch:
- S. p. pygmaea lives near the central California coast.
- S. p. melanotis lives in southern British Columbia and the mountains of the western USA south to southern California, and the Inter-Mountain West from Montana and South Dakota south to Texas, and northern Mexico.
- S. p. leuconucha lives in the mountains of southernmost California and northern Baja California (Mexico).
- S. p. elii lives in northern Mexico.
- S. p. flavinucha lives in east and central Mexico.
- S. p. brunnescens lives in southern Mexico.
- S. p. chihuahuae lives in the mountains of western Mexico.
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: On Aspen tree in Aspendell, California. West of Bishop in Inyo County. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:13 17:20 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: jcd4638.PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:25 13:18 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD_8955PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:04 15:43 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7991PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:31 10:16 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7795PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:26 13:35 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7446PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:26 10:00 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7413PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: At "The Springs" on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 12:47 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/40 |
File Name: D3X2632-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-imaging.com) |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: On Aspen tree in Aspendell, California. West of Bishop in Inyo County. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:13 17:14 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750 |
File Name: jcd4633.PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: On Aspen tree in Aspendell, California. West of Bishop in Inyo County. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:13 17:11 |
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Location:
Aspendell |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: jcd4616.PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Seen west of Highway 395, north of June Lake Junction, in Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:09 12:15 |
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Location:
June Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X7791-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:31 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X7780-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:14 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X7746-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: In the neighborhood around the town of June Lake. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:06 15:15 |
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Location:
June Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X6881-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: A confiding bird in my friend's yard in the Bitterroot Valley near Stevensville, Montana. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:25 8:33 |
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Location:
Bitterroot Court |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X4466-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Foraging in Idyllwild, these birds roam the woods in mobs. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:06:10 8:47 |
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Location:
Idyllwild Town Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X3216-PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: These birds were found in Garner Valley, in the vicinity of Lake Hemet., Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:06:09 13:05 |
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Location:
Garner Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X2849-PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Birds I met in the parking area of The Arboretum at Flagstaff included a boisterous mob of Pygmy Nuthatches in Northern Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:16 14:50 |
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Location:
Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 |
File Name: PygmyNutHatch_D5X1539-Arboretum-at-Flagstaff |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Birds I met in the parking area of The Arboretum at Flagstaff included a boisterous mob of Pygmy Nuthatches in Northern Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:16 14:50 |
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Location:
Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/800 |
File Name: PygmyNutHatch_D5X1533-Arboretum-at-Flagstaff |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Birds I met in the parking area of The Arboretum at Flagstaff included a boisterous mob of Pygmy Nuthatches in Northern Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:16 14:50 |
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Location:
Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 |
File Name: PygmyNutHatch_D5X1517-Arboretum-at-Flagstaff |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:29 18:51 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/40 |
File Name: D3X8212-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 10:04 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/50 |
File Name: D3X3972-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:12 16:13 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/50 |
File Name: D3X3372-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The springs on Santa Rosa Mountain, at 7500 feet elevation in southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:08:31 10:04 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D724335-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The springs on Santa Rosa Mountain, at 7500 feet elevation in southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:08:31 10:40 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D724488-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:06:11 10:03 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D722393-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:12 15:58 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X3330-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Sabino Canyon Park south of Summerhaven. Mount Lemmon, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:28 11:16 |
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Location:
Marshall Gulch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/320 |
File Name: PygmyNutHatch_D5X8857 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:07 8:32 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/320 |
File Name: D3X5672-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 13:24 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X5253-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:09:05 15:30 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X9719-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 12:04 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X9039-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:29 17:45 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X7961-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Agua Dulce Creek, near the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:08:09 12:13 |
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Location:
Agua Dulce Creek |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X1420-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Agua Dulce Creek, near the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:08:09 12:03 |
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Location:
Agua Dulce Creek |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X1396-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: These birds were found in Garner Valley, in the vicinity of Lake Hemet., Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:06:09 12:57 |
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Location:
Garner Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: D3X2790-PygmyNuthatch |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:14 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X7746-PygmyNutHatch |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
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