Meet the Model – Norbert the Nuthatch
words and images by Peter Hanscomb
Say hello to Norman , the Nuthatch Sitta europaea.
This small agile and busy tit-sized woodland bird has a short tail, large head and a woodpecker-like bill. Nuthatches are the only bird that will climb up and down tree trunks in mature woods and parklands, feeding on insects, seeds and nuts, such as hazelnuts and beechmast. The nuthatch is distinctive. Grey above, with a long black horizontal strip through the eye, white cheeks and throat, and a rust-coloured belly. They nest in holes in trees left by Wood Peckers or abandoned nests, but are also happy to use nestboxes. This territorial bird starts breeding in April and can produce two clutches of up to 13 eggs each.
Nuthatch Fact… Ringed adult birds seldom travel more than a mile from where the where caught and ringed .
Nuthatches are omnivorous, eating mostly insects, nuts, and seeds. They forage for insects hidden in or under bark in woodland by climbing along tree trunks and branches, sometimes upside-down. They forage within their small territories when breeding, but they may join mixed feeding flocks at other times. Their habit of wedging a large food item in a crevice and then hacking at it with their strong bills gives this group its English name. The nuthatches stores food, especially seeds, in tree crevices, in the ground, under small stones, or behind bark flakes, and these caches are remembered for as long as a month.
Nuthatches are monogamous. The female produces eggs that are white with red or yellow markings; the clutch size varies, but can number up to twelve eggs. The eggs are incubated for 12 to 18 days by both parents and the chicks take between 21 and 27 days to fledge. Both parents feed the young take it in turn to feed the young.
Facts
Wingspan. 24cm
Length 24cm
Weight 24g
Life expectancy 2/3 years in the wild
Gallery
©️ wildonline 2020 all rights reserved

WILDLIFE WEDNESDAY
Wildlife Wednesday 14-4-2021 I now feel like I’m fully back into the swing of Wildlife Wednesday, again at our new base The Hide at the Meadow. Today I had the pleasure of my wife Anne joining me at the hide , complete with twin flasks of hot chocolate, a real treat. It was a busy […]

Meet the Model – Pedro Pheasant
PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus Length 70-90 cm Wingspan 80-85 cm Weight 1.4 kg Population 3.5 million birds Easily recognizable, the pheasant is a common sight in the countryside and can be found all over the great Britain. This […]

THE ROBIN – updated
The Robin , Erithacus rubecula. The Robin , a familiar sight in British gardens and parks is a small rounded bird with a distinctive red plumage on it’s breast. A firm favourite in our garden and a regular visitor to the wildflower meadow hide this little bird sometimes called the Robin Redbreast is embedded deep […]
Cute little bird😀
LikeLike
Thanks Charlie
LikeLike
I see you have a very great ambition for birds, here you can see an unusual spot in Germany for such a desire:
https://urbansimulator.wordpress.com/2020/07/08/bee-eaters-climate-change/
But now the bee-eaters have already left this most northern breeding area again. Cheers 🙂
LikeLike