Nuthatch in Bluebell Wood at Ferry Meadows CP

Nuthatch at Bluebell Wood in Ferry Meadows CP

Nuthatch at Ferry Meadows CP

Nuthatch

On arrival at our cottage we both noticed some feeders in the front garden with a couple of bits of stale bread in them, but still being visited by a couple of Blue Tits. We managed to get hold of some peanuts and half coconuts filled with fat to see if we could entice some more birds to visit, I even managed to fix a more natural perch in the form of an old tree branch close to the feeders in the hope of a bird landing there before using the feeders. In the morning the feeders were full of 3 species of Tit, Coal, Blue and Great, all happily feeding away until the arrival of a Nuthatch which caused all the other birds to disappear. He wouldn't sit on that blessed tree branch though, so I am afraid you are stuck with these 'unnatural' looking shots.

The Mud Stopper

An affectionate name for the Nuthatch is 'The Mud Stopper', in part due to its' nesting habits. The bird nests in natural holes in trees (although it does sometimes use nest boxes) and to prevent larger birds and predators from entering the nest the female will reduce the size of the hole with mud. The Nuthatch name comes from its' feeding habits, where it wedges a nut or seed in a crevice and hammering it open with its' bill.

A fairly common bird in Britain, although it is more often heard than seen. A unique bird in that it is the only British bird to descend a tree trunk head first.