Missing the nuthatches

I have been feeding the birds for years. This is the first year I haven't seen a single nuthatch. Any ideas why?

White-breasted Nuthatches are common and widespread in Geauga County. Bird numbers per species can have short-term fluctuations from year to year due to availability of other foods (abundance of winter insect foods in the form of eggs and pupae among branches and bark crevices) as well as competing feeders in your neighborhood. Some winters see more Red-breasted Nuthatches in the region than others. -Naturalist Dan Best

This is not the first public inquiry as to what has happened to all the White-breasted Nuthatches this winter! I, too, have noticed the decline of this species, along with lower numbers of Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice, while conducting my Project Feederwatch surveys at Swine Creek Reservation and The West Woods. According to Naturalist Dan Best, ‘White-breasted Nuthatches are common and widespread in Geauga County. Bird numbers per species can have short-term fluctuations from year to year due to availability of other foods (abundance of winter insect foods in the form of eggs and pupae among branches and bark crevices) as well as competing feeders in your neighborhood.’ However, since reports of low numbers are coming in from multiple locations throughout the county, this is definitely something we will have to keep an eye on as the year progresses! -Field Naturalist Tami Gingrich