the sprite of the ponderosa pines

One of my favorite mountain forest birds is this tiny sprite of the ponderosa pines: the Pygmy Nuthatch. A small flock flits between pines and moves about trunks and limbs, sometimes on the ground. These small flocks  even spend nights all together in a single cavity in the non-breeding seasons. It's another of the species that sometimes has young of a previous breeding season returning to their parents and acting as  "helpers at the nest", assisting in raising young. Learn more about them at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/id

Ph. Wikim. Commons - F. Veronisi