Nuthatches - back in Snape Wood in June 2009

Latin Name : Sitta Europeae

Resident or visitor : Resident after a long absence

Size : 14cm

Appearance : Like a small, plump woodpecker – long black pointed beak, oversized head, shiort neck, short stump tail, short legs. Distinctive black strip running through the eye, dividing the grey upperparts and buff underparts, plus chestnut colouring on flanks. The only bird in the UK which can descend down a tree trunk head first.

Call : A loud ‘tuit, tuit, tuit-tuit’ territorial call, and a loud rattling ‘pee pee pee’ trill during the spring. Whistling song which goes up and down the scales

Diet : Insects and spiders. Also, as the name suggests, eats nuts, acorns, yew seeds and pine cones. Wedges nuts into the bark of trees, then hammers them open with its beak. Also cache food in bark when plentiful. In the garden will eat suet, peanuts and general bird seed.

Nesting habitat : Natural holes in trees, occasional nestbox user. Female reduces size of entrance by adding layers of mud to prevent predators stealing eggs. Nest hole contains dead leaves or bark.

Offspring : 6-8 eggs laid in April or May, incubated by female for 16-17 days. Young are fed in the nest for 23-24 days by both parents. Sometimes produces two broods in a season.

General information and observations : It was thought nuthatches had vanished from Snape Wood, but spirits were lifted on 22 June 2009 when one visited a neighbouring garden to feed before flying back into the woods. Whether it is just one, possibly a recently fledged juvenile, remains to be seen, but fingers crossed that nuthatches are making their return. Generally very shy birds, this particular visitor did seem quite confident in front of noisy humans, suggesting it had been living in a very wild habitat away from humans before arriving at Snape Wood.

Please add your sightings and observations below !

3 Responses to “Nuthatch”

1. clayts says:

   June 22, 2009 at 5:24 pm

   Last sighting 22 June 2009, 4.45pm (in my garden – flew off into reserve)
2. clayts says:

   June 27, 2009 at 9:36 pm

   Last sighting 27 June 2009, twice, approx 10am (in my garden, flew back to reserve)
3. clayts says:

   August 6, 2009 at 6:49 pm

   Last sighting 6 August 2009 (one in my garden on peanut feeder)