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

The Magpie

The Magpie ( Pica pica ) Words and pictures by Peter Hanscomb The Eurasian Magpie , more commonly known as just the Magpie ( Pica pica ) is a member of the crow family and undoubtedly one of the most intelligent and curious of all birds likely to visit our gardens. Magpies are deeply embedded…

by phans66 June 2, 2023

THE MOLE

The Mole , Talpa euopaea Moles are a regular visitor at the Meadow Hide , we have never seen one which is normal but the evident there , with their distinctive mole hills periodically appearing in the grass path to the hide. The mole is a small mammal that spends most of it’s life underground…

by phans66 May 31, 2023May 7, 2023

SLOW WORM

Slow worm , Anguis fragilis With long, smooth, shiny, grey or brown bodies, slow worms look very similar to a small snakes and can grow up to 50cm long. In fact the Slow worm is a legless lizard , and are quite harmless to humans. Slow worms like humid conditions and emerge from their hiding…

by phans66 May 29, 2023May 13, 2023